black holes [ongoing]
Artist Statement
I am a film photographer, and I love capturing unexpected moments of childhood. I especially love it when these moments take a slightly sinister turn. As a mom to two young children, I do my best to ignore the fears and the what ifs that go hand and hand with having kids.
My current body of work explores these fears and what ifs in subtle ways. Is that boy just taking a nap? And why is that child sulking on the playground, covered in spots of light that are slightly reminiscent of measles? Or is that some sort of an evil smile peeking through a plastic curtain? These photographs help me explore the uncertainty and doubt that comes with being a parent.
In my professional portrait photography work, I help families manufacture beautiful moments that highlight love and connection. Here, I am far more interested in exploring the unscripted stuff that is childhood. I do not direct the children, but I am not afraid to use my tools and photography knowledge to enhance the feelings I am after.
I photograph with a few film cameras. I shoot mostly expired rolls of 35mm black and white film, although non-expired 120mm medium format film appears as well. I develop black and white rolls in my basement and scan the negatives to make digital files that I then edit. I send my work to a lab for printing.
I embrace the imperfections of this developing process, and love film grain, light leaks, and showing off the edges of the negatives in my scans. I like it when the final results are left up to chance, like when I explore double exposure techniques or use a Holga camera (which is a plastic toy point and shoot camera with few controls).
Exhibitions
2001 Student Show, Boyden Gallery at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, Maryland
2003 A Moveable Feast, Circle Gallery, Annapolis, Maryland
2009 The West – Old, New, Wild, True, Chautauqua Community House, Boulder, Colorado
