Anne Brigman
This week I've been finishing up the printing of my images and setting up my etsy account. I've also been looking closely at the photographers who most inspire me and really examining how they relate to my work. The two photographers that I so far feel most inspired by are Anne Brigman and Joyce Tenninson. First of all, Anne Brigman is a pictorial photographer from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Her best known work involves nude female figures in landscapes. But not just any landscapes, the High Seirra terrain. This area in california is known for its unique and mesmerizing beauty. I find her images alive, emotional, and a primitive connection with the human identity. She has also experimented with manipulating the negative with paints, pencil, and chemicals to give off an even more ethereal effect when viewing the images. These images resinate with me because in my work I'm trying to capture human identity through how energy is present within each individual I photograph. In the series i've been working with presently, I've been doing that by having them manipulate one large piece of sheer fabric in the winter landscape of wisconsin. The manipulate of the fabric with the human body visualizes the dancing energy present within the figure. Then, taking it a step further, is how their energy is taken into certain environments. I feel as though I want to achieve a similar esthetic to Anne Brigman's work but the connection to the environment in my work is more based on showing the reflection of the individuals change in presence within different landscapes and how it uniquely alters from place to place.
Joyce Tennison's work deals with human identity as well. She considers mythology as well as portraiture to capture the inner identity of the individual. The esthetic quality of her images I also resonate with, as well as the ethereal quality captured when she tries to reaveal the inner archetype if the figure. She is a much more recent artist, which is still living and working in New York City.
Joyce Tennison's work
I can definitely see the similarities between your work (both your current project and past ones) and these two photographers. There is such a presence emanating from each of the figures. Good luck with your etsy!
ReplyDeleteIt would be intriguing to ponder how the time period Anne and Joyce worked in differed from your time. Women and very different struggles that informed their work. Do you feel those struggles have been resolved or are you still responding to challenges of today by presenting fluid poses in the landscape?
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