Photography As Reference and Inspiration

As a pre-teen, I taught myself how to draw the human face and figure by pouring over Seventeen Magazine advertisements featuring Christie Brinkley and Cheryl Tiegs and the apparel sections of the voluminous annual  Sears Christmas catalogue.  Basically, I used whatever visual references were available and trust me, there weren't many. On butcher's paper that I "borrowed" from my Mom's kitchen, I  made detailed and time consuming pencil studies of eyes, faces and torsos. Substrates were limited as well and so I carefully rolled out several feet of this clean white surface onto the crowded floor of a bedroom I shared with my two sisters and then would spend hours looking and copying without any regard for rules or technique. I just felt the need to draw people, particularly kids, and as I recall, my five siblings were not the most stationary subject matter . I made work and either discarded it or tucked it safely under my bed. I was more interested in learning and improving than sharing my art.

Since then of course, I have had the experience of drawing from life using a model . It is an invaluable resource that has enriched my work but it is not always convenient or affordable. So photographs are my "go to" for subject references, made even more accessible by the immediacy of digital photography and top notch editing programs. I encourage my students to use every resource possible but not to rely on any one of  them exclusively. They are simply" tools" that when paired with the experience, knowledge, skill and imagination of the artist, can strengthen and inform their work. There is no magical singular solution or "way." I only know what I feel works for me and that is what I share but always with the willingness to try alternate methods and new materials.

During the past two years I have been teaching basic Digital Photography and Photoshop editing at the high school level . I had no prior experience and had to learn along with my class.  It has significantly impacted my own way of "seeing" and has exposed me to the works of some masterful contemporary photographers who create imagery that seems as precious to me as the finest oil paintings on Belgian linen. These artists happen to all be women.  They capture the human form while telling some underlying and often thought provoking story, whether or not that was their intention. Intensely captivating children are featured as subject for a few of them. I am drawn to them. I hope that my paintings share a similar sensibility. So I thought I'd share the excellence of their work.

I was asked why I don't just make photos. Because when I paint, I am aware how much I love the process , the error  and the evidence of my very own fumbling marks when using pigment .


Here are a few of my favorite photographers:
1. Sally Mann

Sally Mann
b. 1951 Lexington, Va.
http://www.sallyman.com
 

 2.Francesca Woodman


Francesca Woodman
 b. 1958-1981 Denver, CO

www.heenan.net/woodman

 

3. Diana Arbus

Diane Arbus
b. 1923-1971 New York , NY
diane-arbus-photography.com
 

4. Loretta Lux

Loretta Lux
b. 1969 Dresden

http://www.lorettalux.de/

5. Deborah Parkin

Deborah Parkin

                                                              http://deborahparkin.com/

7. Tierney Gearon

Tierney Gearon
b.  1963 Atlanta, GA   

                                                          http://www.tierneygearon.com/

Moving Forward: Child's Play

I officially completed my second term of graduate school this past week. There were moments that felt downright frustrating and overwhelming. I contemplated terminating my registration in the program but I was reminded quite frequently by friends and by my own incessant thoughts, as to why I must persist. I am moving forward...in life, in art, in living out loud! My classes at the Savannah College of Art and Design have been unexpectedly challenging but incredibly rewarding. I realized how much I have to learn about the discipline I most love... all of the theory, criticism, and formal elements of art are still swirling in my brain .It seriously made me think hard about my own work and its place in the contemporary art world! I intend to make my way.

So in my painting class, I continued to explore the concept of "Child's Play," as inspiration for symbolic visual, multi-figure narratives. I'm basically telling stories that address the importance of role playing among children as a vehicle for self exploration, understanding and self expression. My work is very personal and is intended to convey a sense of familiarity, comfort and intimacy. I believe our greatest inheritance as artists is our life
experience and personal history. I have drawn upon my own discovery of art and imaginative play as a way of making sense of traumatic and disturbing occurrences in childhood that shaped who I am and how I think. My intent however is to feature children who exhibit strength, resilience and who utilize creativity to cope and thrive.

My work incorporates themes of danger, concealment, vulnerability, protection and unification. There is reoccurring symbolism which includes the headwear, the flamingo and barbed wire .I will work to further expand this symbolic visual language and a more defined cast of characters relevant to the theme of the ritual of play and the protection of children.

The works of narrative painter Paula Rego , photographer Sally Mann and outside artist, Henry Darger, have significantly influenced my recent artistic intent and desired aesthetic using children as my primary subject matter. All create provocative imagery with psychological and symbolic underlying content.

So these images are reflective of my recent efforts in Painting I at SCAD. I am moving forward and not looking back!

ART 21: Art in the 21st Century

For several seasons now, PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) has developed and hosted a quality program that highlights contemporary "master" visual artists.

It is called: Art:21 Art in the 21st Century.

For art educators like myself,this program is an invaluable and familiar resource. For me personally,as a fine artist, it is inspiring to witness emerging artists who are fully immersed in their craft and whose unique art production is evidence of their fearless passion to evolve,explore and manifest their "vision."

The featured working artists are dynamic and innovative in their thinking and creation processes. Their lives are inextricably connected to their art and to the world in which we live. Tim Hawkinson, Sally Mann, Kiki Smith ,Nancy Spero,Janine Antoni,Ursula von Rydingsvard,Jenny Holzer and Mark Bradford are among my favorites.I had the opportunity to meet Mark Bradford!
These artists are the "real deal!" This program offers a rich and accessible understanding of contemporary art and artists. Learn about and view art at it's finest!
Check it out at :Art:21 Art in the 21st Century