Film photography is a hobby that also ties in with my artistic practice. I began as a painter and now have a practice that spans from fibers, glass, sculpture, collage and more. I have always loved the physicality of film, because each exposure is the exact moment I press the shudder completely frozen (or moments if it’s a double exposure). I see photography as composing a painting with only what I have on me, eyes, my camera, film.
When I was a senior in college I read about Bruce Davidson and his subway portraits, and Catherine Opie and her isolated overpass series. Davidson and Opie influence how I observe my surroundings; Davidson has gorgeous contrast and punches of color while Opie captures usually busy public places devoid of human life. Davidson casts a light of equality, all of his subjects, depicting life in NYC on subway cars and platforms all over the five boroughs. His use of color is astounding, some images are bathed in harsh florescent blue-white and others cloaked in darkness with rich reds or grays. Opie’s empty landscapes became an inspiration for all of my photography because I like to capture scenes on subway stations with no trace of people, but that’s not always possible. My interest in images without people stem from my love of landscape painting rather than portraits.
spring 2017 and onward