Atelier

Atelier 32 | Kevin Belanger

Posted on September 23, 2020

In today’s view of our Atelier 32 artists, we look at the work of Kevin Belanger. His series, A Long Desire, was inspired by our current pandemic and its new reality. After retiring from the Postal Service into a world of anxiety and longing, Belanger worked during the Atelier to visualize this new reality by crafting a project that helps him cope with our new normal.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

The one of the family which I titled “Flight”for the exhibition was seminal. It lead me to shoot for empty or “safe” spaces. The church is titled “Sanctuary”. I suppose the family was”fleeing” to the imagined safety of the city, “A Long Desire”. Or a safety that was past and only to be hoped for.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

The greatest benefit of the Atelier was in sharpening my focus as I discovered my project. The exercises were extremely beneficial when it came to telling a story and establishing and crafting a series.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I plan to take the Atelier in the, I hope, not too distant future and perhaps continue my photographic education.

Atelier 32 | Jeanne Widmer

Posted on September 22, 2020

We have had the pleasure of featuring Jeanne Widmer‘s work from past Atelier classes, and this series, Grace Notes, is our creative vision today. Jeanne’s lovely quiet images stem from the quiet isolation of COVID and the ability see more clearly and look more deeply at the world that surrounds us. Her work is on the walls of the Atelier 32 exhibition, and on our blog today. For more background on Grace Notes, we asked her a few questions.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

Like everyone, I squirreled myself indoors in mid-March, just after the Atelier 32 began, only venturing out cautiously with my camera on long daily walks in the neighborhoods of my town. Since I had previously spent three years taking photos of a large local town village development project, I was looking to challenge myself differently. Like many photographers,

I was first struck by the starkness of nearly empty streets, closed shops, buttoned up houses, and empty schoolyards, which reminded me of Todd Hido’s beautiful, often haunting work. But those photos were not enough. I began looking into the spaces for signs of life, details which made the scene come alive in a different way. I studied Helen Levitt’s precise detailed views of New York City and Matt Roberts, who, in his street photography, spoke of becoming more observant and open to the beauty of everyday scenes, finding some of his shots more powerful as diptychs or triptychs. When I first looked at my photo entitled “Spider,” reflections of intertwined tree limbs on a wet, red concrete, I knew it was the direction I wanted to follow. My eyes focused differently. I began noticing a trail of light on pavement, interesting petal filled puddles or drops of night rain on a floral leaf. I marveled at the reality that while we were all pausing and waiting in place, nature, never docile, continued its rainy march into spring.

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

The Covid 19 virus has destroyed many lives, robbed others of livelihoods or homes, and put families and individuals under intense pressure. At the same time, it has provided the opportunity for us to appreciate the human connections, routines and experiences which bring grace and joy into our lives. The pandemic has allowed us to pause and look closely at what essentially matters to us. Whether we look is our choice. By focusing with me on some of the smallest details in nature—in which a close up angle of an otherwise average scene is either unexpectedly satisfying and hopeful or can darken a mood by looking like the virus itself (“Molten Salmon Puddle”), I hope viewers can share and absorb a deep appreciation for the tiny moments—often hidden– that grace our lives.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

Having a 12-week course with a skilled photographer and teacher as well as talented classmates is a real motivator to develop a body of work. The challenging photographic exercises, the weekly feedback, the guest artist, and the encouragement and support in trying something new makes a real difference in developing confidence and focus. I hope to continue stretching my vision to see my world differently, whether in landscape, portrait or documentary photography. I am deeply appreciative for the Griffin professional staff’s continued dedication to excellence in its programs and exhibits supporting both established and aspiring photographers.

About Jeanne Widmer –

Growing up in Rhode Island shaped Jeanne Widmer’s attraction to worn urban locations and friendly, neighborhood businesses. An educator, counselor and writer, Widmer, from Belmont, Massachusetts, has studied photography at the Arlington Center for the Arts, the Griffin Museum and the New England School of Photography. Besides many group exhibits, she has had two solo exhibits, one which captured the vibrancy, color and dark expectancy of a single screen movie theater and another which highlighted the subtle drama and dignity of an historic, working class group of businesses. She exhibited with the Atelier 29^th class at the Griffin Museum of Photography focusing on portraits.

Find her online on Instagram @WidmerJeanne

Atelier 32 | Edie Clifford

Posted on September 21, 2020

Next up in our series on Atelier 32 artists, Edie Clifford. Her series, Walter Baker Chocolate Mills has a long memory for Edie and the surrounding Milton, Massachusetts community. Exploring not only her community, but a new camera during the pandemic times we live in gave Edie a new view of how to document the world we now find ourselves in. We asked Edie about her work and experience in the Atelier.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

This was the first image I took with my new infrared camera in spring 2019. It showed me how I could photograph the mills with a different look.

About the Walter Baker Chocolate Mills –

Architecture is to be regarded by
Us with the most serious thought.
We may live without her and
Worship without her, but we
Cannot remember without her.
John Ruskin

When I walk through the Walter Baker Chocolate Mill Complex in Milton/Dorchester Lower Mills, MA, my memories are filled with the smell of chocolate. I grew up in Milton in the 1940s-1960s and these imposing brick buildings that were built by my great great uncle in the late 19th century along the Lower Falls of the Neponset River were part of my childhood adventures.

I remember the taste of the broken chocolate pieces that were left in pots outside the Webb and Pierce Mills. I remember the rushing sound of the river as it tumbled over the dam and transformed into millraces, the water channels that led to the former water wheels. And I remember the sight of the trolley as it came around the bend to Milton station that was opposite the storehouses. I now understand that this complex was the beginning of my appreciation for architecture and how it anchors me in my life. The mills not only help me to remember but offer a sense of place today.

I photographed the complex during the spring of 2019 and 2020. I chose black and white infrared to capture the beauty of these architect-designed buildings within their river environment. Infrared allows for deeply contrasted images. It creates an otherworldly feeling with dark sky and water and white foliage and clouds, offering an alternative interpretation of this historic complex as it stands today converted to condominiums.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

The Atelier offered me a creative and supportive atmosphere to become aware .. of what I most love to photograph, the techniques I want to use and how to put the resulting images into panel or story. All this in COVID spring … I am grateful!

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I will continue to photograph the man-made environment with my infrared camera but also with my new Fuji X4 which offers multiple-exposure and blending mode features.

About Edie Clifford –

Edie Clifford is a Boston-based photographer grounded in the man-made environment, from a fence lining a country road to historic and contemporary structures to architectural abstracts. Her photography has been influenced by her work in the field of historical preservation and her love of travel. She is drawn to studying the built environment developed by a variety of cultures both at home and abroad.

Edie shoots both in color and black and white. She uses photography as a mindful practice and enjoys experimenting with infrared, multiple exposures and abstracts to become aware of the present. Recent series include: Baker Chocolate Mills, Modernist and Brutalist Architecture, Massachusetts and London, and The Telegraph Road: A Journey through the deserts and mountains of California, Nevada and Arizona.

Her work has been included at exhibitions at the Oxo Gallery (London), Plymouth Center for the Arts (Plymouth, MA), and Tower Hill Botanical Garden (Boylston, MA).

You can find more of Edie Clifford‘s work her website and on Instagram @egclifford

Atelier 32 | Claudia Ruiz-Gustafson

Posted on September 18, 2020

Claudia Ruiz Gustafson is our focus today. A member of the Atelier community, her work was featured last month in the Griffin Member’s Exhibition curated by Alexa Dilworth. Still exploring a very personal story of family and home, we now see a new side of her creativity with a project inspired by the pandemic, Suspended World, for Atelier 32. An interactive work, there is a slide show and video to accompany the work now up on the walls of the Griffin. We asked her a few questions to learn more about the work.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

When I joined Atelier 32, my idea was to continue working on my family project. When we started the classes and the pandemic hit us and we were asked to stay home, everything changed for me. The stay at home advisory and the cancellation of my art shows and my work for the remaining of this year really hit me. I felt very depressed and was considering dropping off from the Atelier. I know Meg was very nervous moving the Atelier online and I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I decided to stay. I couldn’t produce any new work for the first couple of weeks but gradually as I was working on a “image + text’ homework, it all started to make sense. Using my body to mirror my state of mind, I followed my instincts and produced three mini bodies of work, one in each room in my house. At the end I decided to create a slideshow to show my images and poetry together set to music.

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

My intention with this body of work is to express the endless possibility of photography for being a vehicle of self expression, a way to reflect your inner life, your emotions and so that viewers could relate to the work in any way that is meaningful for them.

How has the Atelier helped you hone your vision as an artist?

The Atelier has been a life changing event for me, since my first one I took back in 2014 to the one I recently took. I found a mentor in Meg and Paula and a community of like minded people, many of them who have become my best friends.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.
I am waiting for the airport in Peru to open to visit my family and to continue working on a video that will be an extension of my family project.

About Claudia Ruiz Gustafson –

Claudia Ruiz Gustafson is a Peruvian-born, Massachusetts-based visual artist, educator and curator. Her work is mainly autobiographical and self-reflective; often portraying themes of femininity, memory, dreams and personal mythology. She regards image making as a powerful medium for exploring her inner world.

Claudia has exhibited in museums and galleries across the US and abroad at venues including the Danforth Art Museum, Agora Gallery, Millepiani Gallery, Galleria Valid Foto, Fountain Street Gallery, Griffin Museum of Photography, Cambridge Art Association, Concord Center for the Arts and the RI Center for Photographic Arts. She had her first solo show in 2020 at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, MA titled Historias de Tierra y Mar (Stories of Land and Sea).

She has received grants and awards from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Cambridge Art Association, L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards, PX3 de la Photographie Paris, The Gala Awards, among others. Her work has been published in Fraction Media, Black & White Magazine, Shades Collective, F-Stop Magazine and has been reviewed by Artscope Magazine, Metrowest Daily News and What Will You Remember.

Claudia has self published several books that incorporate her photography and poetry. She is the owner of a portrait photography business and also teaches creative photo workshops in the Boston area. Currently she is curator and participating artist of the traveling exhibition Crossing Cultures: Family, Memory and Displacement, a multi-media project made up of artwork created by multi-cultural artists reflecting on identity and diaspora.

She holds a BA in Communications from Universidad de Lima, and a Professional Photography Certificate from Kodak Interamericana de Perú.

5% of the net income from her fine art and portrait business goes to benefit two organizations: 1. Humane Society of the US, an organization that provides direct care to more than 100,000 animals each year through their sanctuaries, veterinary programs and emergency shelters and rescues and 2. Farm Sanctuary, an organization that advocates for farmed animals, promotes laws and policies that support animal welfare, animal protection, and veganism through rescue, education, and advocacy.

See more of Claudia Ruiz-Gustafson‘s work on her website. Find her onInstagram @claudiaruizgustafson

Atelier 32 | Michael King

Posted on September 17, 2020

Mike King‘s series Fish Market is on the blog today, celebrating the artists of Atelier 32 now up on the walls of the Griffin. We asked him a few questions about the work.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

For Italians, food is the opera of life. It is important to use the best local ingredients. It’s important to think about it, talk about it, dream about it, dwell on minuscule details of the preparation and finally ,sit down with family and friends to partake in the communal meal. In Italy the preparation and enjoyment of good food is the metronome for life.

In these photographs (taken in 2017) of the Catania Fish Market (La Pescheria) in Sicily I portray the opening beat. For me the first photo depicts the opening operatic scene where all the players are preparing to break out in song. From there the photos depict the buyers partaking in an animated ritual of talking, joking, smelling and hand movements all aimed at securing the finest and freshest item at the lowest price.

How did the Atelier help to hone my vision as a photographer?

The Atelier has created opportunities to explore areas outside my normal photographic comfort zone. The assignments covered such diverse subjects such as abstraction, the use of words, still life, telling a story etc. These activities helped me to develop and refine new skills and expand my photographic vision.

In the past my photography activity began with stepping on an airplane taking me to some exotic destination. The Atelier has better prepared me for this post Covid-19 world in which I can now appreciate the photographic opportunities closer to home.

About Mike King –

Michael King is a retired physicist who worked in diverse fields of optical imaging. He has achievements and inventions in 3-dimensional holographic imaging, electron device photolithography and refractive eye surgery (PRK). A lifelong interest in photographic expression has led him to explore astrophotography along with underwater, travel and nature photography. In the early days of digital photography, he taught children attending summer camp to use digital cameras to develop an appreciation for nature.

He has exhibited at the Griffin Museum, two juried shows at Concord Art, and has studied at the Griffin Museum, NESOP and the deCordova Museum all located in Massachusetts. One of King’s bird photos was included in the book “Who’s Who in the Natural World” by Kay Fairweather. He also had an early hologram accepted into the Museum of Holography in Manhattan. In recent years King has used photography to explore the human condition and man’s place in the natural world.

You can see more of Mike King‘s work on his website. Follow him on Instagram @mikeking1940

Atelier 32 | Conrad Gees

Posted on September 16, 2020

We continue our focus on the talented artists of Atelier 32. Through the lens of Conrad Gees, we take a trip to Cuba and Los Habaneros.

Los Habaneros (Havanans)

I have been fortunate that for a brief period of time, travel restrictions to Cuba from the US were eased and ordinary citizens such as myself could visit the island independently without a specified itinerary. The impetus for this series was to finally begin pulling together the images taken during several trips to Havana beginning in 2015.

Born at the height of the Cold War, I was eight when the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. Fidel Castro was the enemy and Cuba became the isolated isle. The US embargo took effect in the 60’s and the collapse of the Soviet Union Left the Cuban economy hamstrung, the effects of which are evident today. My photographs reflect that, but that is not their intended subject. What fascinated me most was how the people living in three sections of Havana, Habana Vieja, Centro Habana and the Vedado, have developed strong, vibrant neighborhoods working and living together as a community. Their homes, the means by which they get food, their jobs, and even the newly sanctioned small private enterprise ventures, left me, an American with many privileges in life, awed and humbled by the resilience and ingenuity of the “Habaneros.”

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

The four images chosen here could be subjects of Norman Rockwell paintings (grabbing a snack, getting a haircut, enjoying cake with a friend, coming home to a brother) but the backdrop is Cuba. These are the universal human experiences we often forget about when visiting countries vastly different from ours. In my images I want to share the commonalities we share.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

There are ten images in this show, but ultimately my goal is to make a book.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

My second Atelier proved to be as helpful as the first one I participated in three years ago. The project I am undertaking had me frustrated by its sheer size and scope, and I was struggling for a focus. Meg Birnbaum is an excellent facilitator, and even on line she brought together a group of eight individuals, each at different points in their development, and pushed us to think deeply about what each of us is trying to convey with our photographs. At the end of the Atelier, I was left with a very strong set of ten images which helped narrow my focus, yet at the same time have also given me a frame work to expand on for this project.

About Los Habaneros –

There is truth in the statement, Havana is a city frozen in time sixty plus years ago. This is clearly evident in the American cars from the 1950’s still traveling the streets, and in many of the storefronts with their limited consumer goods, but it is also a characterization, which can lead one to a false sense of sentimentality or condescension.

The 1961 US embargo did, in one sense, freeze Havana and cut it off from consumer goods progress, and severely limited its economic development, but the Havana of today is not the Havana of 1961. Havana today is the outgrowth of the 1959 Revolution, the US embargo and the Cold War which forced the inhabitants of this city, just 90 miles off the US coast to develop in ways they can speak of with great pride and in ways which leave them longing for more.

In 2015 I traveled through Mexico to Havana for the first time. Although restrictions on travel from the US to Cuba had just been eased, I was one of very few Americans on the streets of Havana not tied to a tour. The excitement and openness expressed to me by the Habaneros was infectious and led to my returning three additional times.

While concentrating on the sections of Havana known as “Habana Vieja,” and “Centro Habana”, now United Nations World Heritage Sites being renovated and brought back to life, I decided to document not only the buildings but the people living in these currently run-down sections of the city. Their homes, the means by which they get food, their jobs, and even the newly sanctioned small private enterprise ventures, left me, an American with many privileges in life, awed and humbled by the resilience and ingenuity of the Habaneros.

The images in this body of work grew out of, and helped me to develop, a deeper understanding of Havana and its people. Havana is truly a city of resilience.

See more of Conrad Gees‘ work on his website.

Atelier 32 | Sarah Forbes

Posted on September 15, 2020

Today’s featured artist from the Griffin Atelier 32 is Sarah Forbes. These lovely quiet images from her series, Illuminating the Invisible is what we are looking at today. We asked her a few questions about her experience.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

Dried American Beech Leaf, 2020 was the impetus for this series. It was taken during a walk at the beginning of the pandemic. While I was excited to be out of the confinement of my house, the woods still felt dormant and dreary until my eye caught the golden glimmer of the American Beach tree leaves dangling from their branches. Intrigued, I moved closer and noticed the delicate texture of their skin and the fractal patterns that their veins created. Inspired by this experience, I continued to look closer at the natural world and find things that were often invisible to my naked eye. It allowed me to observe nature in its constant state of change and gave me some perspective on the changes going on in my own life.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

Atelier 32 was a wonderful creative community to connect with during a very strange time. I looked forward to the weekly Zoom call. Presenting my work each class and having to discuss it helped me to recognize, develop and articulate my own vision and what I was trying to convey through my images. My classmates and Meg, our instructor, were an important part of that process as their feedback and reactions would sometimes introduce something that I may not have seen on my own.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I plan to continue working on this series following the seasonal changes and capturing more of the nature world as it transitions. I am also enrolled in the Griffin’s Monthly Mentoring and Critique Program with Vaughn Stills, which should help me to continue to develop my artistic vision and work.

About Sarah Forbes –

Sarah Forbes is an emerging landscape photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts whose work explores the natural world and the perspective it can reveal.

Her artistic vision has been influenced by a variety of mediums and genres. Earning her BA at Connecticut College, Sarah’s childhood interest in photography became a passion as she immersed herself in the dark room and experimented with landscape, still life and portraits. A career in marketing communications introduced her to graphic design and computer presentations, which she continued to explore through her custom stationery and invitation business and multimedia shows to celebrate milestones.

Photography resurged with the arrival of her two children as she documented their adventures. As they grew to adolescents and no longer wanted to be her muse, she turned her lens to their athletic contests and captured the finesse and emotions of the players. With her passion rekindled, Sarah began taking classes at the New England School of Photography and had her first group exhibition at the Garner Center for Photographic Exhibitions in January 2020. This spring she enrolled in the Griffin Museum’s Photography Atelier 32, which culminated with an exhibition that can be seen at the Museum through September 29th or viewed online.

To see more of Sarah Forbes work, log onto her website. She is on Instagram @sforbesphotos

Atelier 32 | Adrien Bisson

Posted on September 14, 2020

Today we are pleased to present Atelier 32 member Adrien Bisson and his project – Alone Together, looking at the 90 days of sheltering in place during COVID.

Atelier 32 is on the walls of the Griffin until September 27th. The museum is open by appointment. We look forward to seeing you in a safe and healthy way to experience the talented Griffin artists community.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

I had been doing some still life images in my condo in mid-March of this year, just as most of us had become aware of the scale of the pandemic. It quickly became clear that “normal” life was going to be changed for some time. Over the weeks of the Atelier I began to realized that my project had to be a story about my newly-limited world in the condo. The photo called “On the sill” was one of the first that became part of the project and still reminds me of that early period of self-isolation, feeling unable to do much, while at the same time mourning the separation that my wife and I felt from my son and his family. The sill on which the herb plantings were placed was our window to the outside world, and the pots contained images of our granddaughter whom we could only see in photos and FaceTime.

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

Everyone has their own stories about the pandemic, and mine is just one of them. Part of my story is simply about our lives together in those first months, but another part is about my desire to make something come out of that isolation and to work with the limitations that were imposed on me.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

Working those weeks with Meg and the rest of the group really helped me think through and refine a vision for a project. It was incredibly helpful to get criticism and feedback on what I would produce each week, as well as to be able to see the work that the others were creating and having the opportunity to formulate and express my thoughts about it.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I have been working for a year or so on a project about the small town in which I grew up. Because my introduction to photography came at that time and place, I am working with a toy camera in black and white for this project. I am also working on a project about the Merrimack River, which starts in the White Mountains, runs along the building in which I live, and ends up emptying into the Atlantic, in Newburyport, and how it affects the daily lives of those of us while live by it.

To see more of Adrien’s work – find it online on his website, and social media.
Web site: adrienbisson.com

Instagram: @adrien_bisson

Facebook: www.facebook.com/adrienbisson

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AdrienBissonPhotography

Atelier 32 | Miren Etcheverry – Oh My Goddess

Posted on September 10, 2020

We are pleased to highlight the talented artists of Atelier 32. Today we focus on the creativity of Miren Etcheverry.

Etcheverry’s Grandmother

I started with a formal photographic portrait of my grandmother, which has hung, since it was taken in the 1920’s, at her house, now our family home, in Bayonne, France (see next).I have always liked this portrait of my grandmother (whom, incidentally, I adored), but felt that it never captured her colorful and vivacious personality. So, I decided to “add some color” to it. One of my attempts at remaking her portrait, hence “Suzanne #2”. I made quite a few versions of this portrait. Some of them, I was told were reminiscent of one of my favorite artists Gustav Klimt, which, of course, inspired me to explore this work further.

So I continued on the Klimt theme, loosely, and created “Paulette”. She is my mother, now 93. This image is based on a snapshot I took of her about 10 years ago.

“Oh My Goddess” is a celebration of the women in my family. It is about honoring these women, most of whom are living full and active lives in southern France. (I wonder… is the secret to longevity in southern France the Madiran wine or the foie gras, or both…?)

Among these beautiful women are my nonagenarian mother, her peers, and other members of my extended family. A few of them have now passed, but their memories live on.

“Yvette”, which is a portrait of my 80-year old cousin, this one based on a photo I took of her recently.

“Suzanne #1” is one of my favorites. It is also of my grandmother, based on a snapshot of her when she was in her 60’s, where she was sitting at a dining room table. What I love about this one is that it totally captures her personality, the twinkle in her eye, and her mischievous spirit. This time, I decided to “channel” Frieda Kahlo, another one of my favorite artists.

During the recent period of the pandemic and its associated restrictions, the distance between me and my family of origin has never seemed so great. Knowing that I am no longer just a simple airplane flight away from visiting them saddens me.

These playful depictions of the women reflect happy moments spent with them, while I am here and they are far away. During my period of confinement, I revisited my family photographs and transformed these ordinary women, giving them a breath of new life, and capturing their lively spirits and dynamism. I mean to convey what is most beautiful about them, perhaps enhancing that beauty, even transforming them into goddesses.

These portraits are a pleasure for me to work on. Working on them allows to “spend time” with my family members, at lease figuratively. Some, like my beloved grandmother, have been gone for some time. Others, like my mother and Yvette, are far away. While France did not feel that far away prior to the pandemic, the complications of traveling during the pandemic has imposed a great distance between my family in France and me. Creating these portraits had brought them closer to me.

Meg and my Atelier group were a huge inspiration for my pursuing this project. For one, they responded very positively to the portraits, and to my verbal descriptions of these women. I had also created portraits of anonymous people, but Meg and the group members made it clear to me that it was my connection with these women that made it work. So I continued to focus on women in my family. One of my favorite assignments during the Atelier workshop is the conversation with an artist. I conversed with Gustav Klimt for that assignment, which led me to the “Paulette” and “Yvette” portraits.

Even the “goddess” concept came from a member of the group.

Indeed, these women are my goddesses. I come from a long line of strong women, who are my role models and source of my own strength and feminist spirit.

There are a lot of women in my family and extended family of friends that provide with much more material to work with, and I look forward to continuing with this series. I am honored that since have shared these portraits, many people have responded by asking me to do portraits of their mothers and other women in their lives.

About Miren Etcheverry –

Miren Etcheverry is an award-winning photographer whose work has been exhibited internationally.

Based in Cambridge and Provincetown, MA, she spent her early childhood in Paris and in the Basque Country. Her passion for photography began early, as she traveled extensively throughout her youth and continued to travel throughout her career in international finance.

Her photographs have been selected for juried exhibitions at Danforth Art (Framingham, MA), in galleries, including Menier Gallery (London, UK), Darkroom Gallery (Vermont), Kiernan Gallery (Virginia), and at the Griffin Museum of Photography, Cape Cod Art Center, Cambridge Art Association and Bedford Public Library.

Miren’s photographs received various Honorable Mentions in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 International Photography Awards (IPA) , ArtAscent’s “Blue” competitions. Her work has appeared in publications and blogs, including the Cape Cod Times, Art Ascent and About Basque Country.

Miren studied photography at New England School of Photography, Maine Media Workshops and Griffin Museum of Photography, and with Alison Shaw and National Geographic photographer Michael Melford. She had her first formal training in photography while a student at Stanford University, where she worked in video production at the pioneering Stanford Instructional Television Network. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from M.I.T.

See more of Miren Etcheverry‘s work on her website. Follow her on Instagram @etchephoto. She’s on Facebook at Miren Etcheverry Photography.

Atelier 31 | Meet the Artist – Jeanne Widmer

Posted on April 1, 2020

Now more than ever, we are witnessing a surge in documentary photography. So much of our life changes so quickly, that without the visual document of transformation, we fail to notice what is happening around us. We are left to wonder when that change occurred and ask ourselves, what did we miss? Jeanne Widmer noticed the changes in her local village, and started documenting the change, resulting in her Atelier portfolio, Ode to a Town Village.

Hollingsworth 5 & 10

About the series –

Cushing Village Development

Ode to a Town Village was inspired almost three years ago when I first started taking pictures of a sprawling three- and four story–development in a relatively small, mostly single-story village in Belmont. While the demolished area was in serious need of upgrading, the massive scale, snail-like progress, and disruption of the construction over four years and still unfinished has seriously hurt the many small businesses struggling to stay afloat in the area.

In 2005 a developer proposed to town officials that they level two blocks of underused storefronts in Cushing Square, one of Belmont’s three town villages, to construct four oversized buildings for 100 upscale apartments, office space, and commercial use, ironically called Belmont Village. By 2013 the Planning Board approved the final design of a development which has crowded neighborhood homes, blocked parking, sidewalks and streets, and driven out some of the area’s remaining intimate small businesses. Nearly three years ago I began photographing the snail-like progress of this construction. Stalled by lawsuits and finances as in a Dickens novel, the endless construction of these massive box-like buildings with their incongruous and pretentious architectural facades has forever altered the experience of most townspeople. This series is my attempt to capture the clash of history and cultures, the dimensions, textures and mood, and the simple poetic dignity and warmth of an intimate community, which might forever be lost.

Zia Clothing Outlet

The series was more difficult than I had originally anticipated. The construction is across the street from the stores, making the angle of contrasting sizes and architectural styles nearly impossible to capture without an aerial view. Finding the right lighting was another issue: the compelling photographic details of the small businesses were more visible in the evening, while the construction at the same hour was too hidden and appeared almost romantic, especially since it sat in near darkness. I settled on a single black and white photo of one of the three buildings taken at slightly after mid day to capture the vivid lighting highlighting the details of the building. In the exhibit it is significantly larger than the other photos

We asked Jeanne to talk about her Atelier experience –

Karenna Maraj Jewelry Collection

What do you hope we as viewers take away from viewing your work?

While development and change have been going on since the beginning of time, there is no question that some are steps forward and others less so. What I hope viewers can appreciate in this series is the simple dignity, warmth and beauty that such small businesses bring to a community even while relentless “progress”—sometimes harsh and colorless–continues its resolute push forward despite the consequences.

How the Atelier has helped you hone your vision as an artist?

The Atelier has given me an opportunity to explore subjects and themes not always comfortable or easy. Under the regular guidance of a skilled and talented photographer/instructor as well as the feedback from talented class members, I have been encouraged to grow and expand my repertoire, no matter how difficult.

Cushing Square

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

While I was hoping to develop my interest in photographing people, with the virus I may now seek to stretch myself in other ways. I am deeply grateful to Griffin’s Atelier experience to continue this exploration, no matter where it takes me.

About Jeanne Widmer –

Find her online on Instagram @WidmerJeanne

Atelier

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