Griffin Museum of Photography

Griffin News

29th Annual Juried Members Exhibition

Posted on

29th Annual Juried Members Exhibition

Juror – Lisa Volpe, Curator of Photography, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

20 April – 28 May, 2023

Artist Reception 21 April, 6.30 – 8pm

man in plastic
© Liam Hayes, Arthur Griffin Prize Winner
28th Annual Juried Exhibition

Our annual call for entry is now open for submissions from February 1st thru 28th, 2023, for all creative artists using photography as a primary medium, highlighting still images and including moving images, installation, and public works, experimental and mixed techniques for inclusion in our summer exhibition.

The Griffin Museum celebrates the craft of photography and the community it serves in its thirtieth year with our Annual Juried Members Exhibition.

We want to know what you have been up to creatively over the last 3 years.The call for this years exhibition is Under the Mask.

This call for entry invites photographers to submit work about the psychological, social, and emotional results of the last three years. We’ve all seen the photographs of masked citizens, but what transpired behind the mask? What were the aftereffects when we put our masks away? Artists are invited to submit work made since 2020….

About our Juror Lisa Volpe – Lisa Volpe is Curator, Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Previously, she was the Curator of the Wichita Art Museum, held various curatorial roles at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA), and fellowships at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Her 2021 exhibition catalog, Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer, was one of two finalists for the Association of American Publishers Prose Awards. Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power, published for the 2022 exhibition, was named a “must read” by Esquire and New York Magazines.

Submission Guidelines – 

Fee – $35 for submission of up to 5 images

Submissions accepted through CaFE – https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11390

Submission period ends March 1st, 2023 at 11:59 Mountain time.

Evaluation Criteria

The Griffin Museum invites member photographers working in all mediums, styles and schools of thought to participate. Experimental and mixed techniques are welcome. We are excited to review all forms of the photographic image, including moving image, installation and public works, experimental and mixed techniques are welcome. The members exhibition celebrates the creativity of all of our members using photography in their practice.

The number of photographs in the exhibition will be approximately 60 photographs.

Eligibility

ELIGIBILITY: This Call for Entries is open to all active member photographers. Entrants must be members of the Griffin Museum of Photography (with a current membership through April 2023). We always welcome new members as part of our family and offer a broad range of member opportunities. While some opportunities are for long distance members like our on-line classes, and programs, we want you to feel like part of our community from wherever you reside.

There is a membership level for Distance Members for those outside of New England. 

Submission Requirements

  • Must be a member of the Griffin Museum of Photography through April 30, 2023.  There is the availability to renew memberships.
  • All images must be submitted as jpeg files, sized to 1200 px on the longest dimension, (72 dpi is fine), and in Adobe RGB or sRGB color space only.
  • All entries that do not adhere to the guidelines above will be rejected.
  • Upload through the Café Portal 5 images.
  • 8 images can be submitted for members at the dual/family level ($75) or above. Do not submit 8 images if you are not a Dual/Family Member or above. We will contact you to remove 3 images from your submission if your membership is not at the Family or above levels.
  • All memberships will be verified before delivery to juror. The jurying will be anonymous.

AWARDS:

  • $1,000 Arthur Griffin Legacy Award
  • $500 Griffin Award
  • $100 Honorable Mentions (5)
  • (2) Exhibition Awards that will take place next June and July 2023.
  • (1) Director’s Prize with exhibition and catalog

A catalog of the 29th Members Juried Exhibition will be produced.

An online digital showcase from photographs not chosen by the juror will be produced and available for viewing in the Museum.

Exhibition Dates – 

April 21 – May 28, 2023

Artist Reception – April 21, 6.30 to 8pm.

Online Artist Panels highlighting Winning and Honorable Mention Artists.

  • April 27th – 7pm Eastern
  • May 4th – 7pm Eastern
  • May 16th – 7pm Eastern

TBD – Member Project(ions) – Participating members of the exhibition will have the opportunity for a slide show evening event on the Griffin Rotary Terrace.

Curator in Residence opportunity for exhibiting artists to meet with the jurors for a 30 minute portfolio review.

If selected for exhibition – 

Artwork must be framed and ready to hang. Artists will pay shipping to and from the museum.

Evaluation Criteria

The Griffin Museum invites member photographers working in all mediums, styles and schools of thought to participate. Experimental and mixed techniques are welcome. There is no theme. We are excited to review all forms of the photographic image, including moving image, installation and public works, experimental and mixed techniques are welcome. The members exhibition celebrates the creativity of all of our members using photography as an element in their practice.All entrants must use the CallForEntry (CaFE) online entry system.1.   Access the CaFE site and create a free personal account. https://www.callforentry.org/
2.   Upload your files into your CaFE portfolio with these specifications:
Image resolution:  1920 pixels (long dimension) @ 72 ppiProfile: AdobeRGB(1998).  Save file as an 8bit Jpeg. Files must not exceed 5MB.Please remove any visible names, titles, watermarks, etc.

  • 8 images can be submitted for members at the dual/family level ($75) or above. Please submit 5 images through cafe and send the remaining 3 images to photos@griffinmuseum.org – subject line Additional Submission Juried Show
  • All memberships will be verified before delivery to juror. The jurying will be anonymous.

Notification and Submission of Artwork:  All entrants will be notified of the results via email after March 15th, 2023. Check your spam or junk folders for this notice.

For invited gallery artists ONLY (online artists do not send artwork) artwork must arrive at GMP no later than Friday April 14, 2023 . Work delivered after this date will not be exhibited without prior arrangements.

The number of photographs in the exhibition will be approximately 60 photographs. There are additional opportunities for digital and public art presentations in addition to the museum exhibition throughout the course of the exhibition.

Preparing your image for exhibition
All artwork for display in the gallery must be ready-to-hang. Framed pieces can be wood or metal and in any style or profile and must be glazed, Plexiglas is preferred. Mounted prints are welcome as long as they have some hanging method. Matted but unframed work will not be displayed. Your finished piece must not exceed 30 inches on the long side and weigh less than 10 pounds, with hanging wire securely attached to the back of the frame. No saw tooth hangers. Diptych, triptych, multiple images, etc. must not exceed 30 inches combined on the long side. For the safety of your piece and our gallery visitors, no exceptions will be granted for these framing requirements.

Delivery of Art
Accepted work needs to arrive at the Griffin Museum of Photography no later than Friday, April 14, 2023 via only Federal Express, UPS or USPS. Hand deliveries are welcome during gallery hours, Tuesday – Sunday, Noon – 4:00pm.

If you ship your work please use sturdy, reusable packaging — we will use the same packaging to return the piece to you. You may use reusable fiberboard containers or sturdy cardboard boxes, with additional bubble wrap and cardboard for shock protection. Use of Styrofoam peanuts or similar loose packaging material is discouraged.

FedEx, UPS or USPS can be shipped to the Museum.  Please include a prepaid return-shipping label with additional insurance if desired for the return of your work. No cash or personal checks please. 

Prints that do not meet our requirements, arrive late or damaged, cannot be hung properly, or are deemed by the jurors and Griffin Museum of Photography to be of poor quality will be not be exhibited. While your work is in our possession, in the event of loss, damage or theft, the Griffin Museum liability is limited to replacement cost of materials only. 

A signed Exhibitor Agreement needs to accompany your work or be completed upon our receipt of the piece.

Questions? email us at photos @ griffin museum . org or call the museum during business hours Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm.

Meg Birnbaum | Griffin State of Mind

Posted on

Meg Birnbaum’s upcoming education series with Griffin will allow you make your personal story into a universal one. We wanted to delve into the creative and narrative process behind her photographs, and what objectives she hopes to hit in her class.

What aspects of photographic storytelling are most important that often don’t apply with non-narrative photography?

I think that the artists intention is the most important aspect – not just the story but what it is that the artist wants to convey, what kind of emotion does the artist want to share with or elicit from the viewer?

Tell us about your background.

I grew up outside NYC and consider myself fortunate because my parents subscribed to a number of magazines including the amazing LIFE and LOOK. I credit them and the NY Times Sunday Magazine with developing my interest in narrative photography. It was a wonderful time for magazines and I remember racing home from school to be the first to look at them, reluctantly handing them over to my dad when he got home. What I remember is how well the photography went beyond direct photojournalism but also took you inside humanity’s joy and sadness. Many of the images are etched in my memory still. Around the same time my sister was given an enlarger and we set up a darkroom in our attic when I was 11. Many years later I went to art school and worked for many years art directing and designing magazines, including Cook’s Illustrated and Yankee Magazine’s special Summer Travel issues.

Does your narrative photography often reflect your own experiences?

Mostly but not always. Different projects developed in different ways – often one thing leads to another. Taking on a project can be a great way to answer questions you have about someone or something that is outside your day-to-day life. You can encourage your own curiosity which I think is one of the healthiest things you can have. Two of my long-term projects were about one large thing but at the same time the underlying personal interest was to pursue why some people are terribly shy and others seemingly are not. 

How do you involve photography into your everyday life?

I am in my head a lot but always looking – at other photographers works, at movies, at people, at art. I love to wander through stores like Michael’s and Joann Fabrics looking for prop inspirations. 

What are the objectives of your class?

The class objective is to guide people towards illustrating the story they want to tell, and/or helping people figure out what it is that they want to work on. Myself – and the other students – will point out the strengths, patterns and themes that we see in each other’s work while also discussing what images might be missing and how to find them. After the class is over the Griffin museum will hold a zoom session for students to share the stories that they have worked on. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please join us online for an engaging look at narrative photography. The first class is February 14th, and runs through June 20th, 2023. For more information, look here on our education page for the details.

ABOUT MEG BIRNBAUM

Meg Birnbaum is a fine art photographer, designer and educator. She has had solo exhibitions in Kobe, Japan, the Davis Orton Gallery, NY, Panopticon Gallery, Boston, Corden Potts Gallery, San Francisco, the Griffin Museum of Photography, Lishui China, International Photography Festival, and at the Museum of Art Pompeo Boggio, Buenos Aires during the Biennial Encuentros Abiertos-Festival de la Luz. Her work has been juried into many national and international photography competitions. Birnbaum was an invited exhibitor at Flash Forward Festival 2011 in Boston and was nominated for the 2009 Santa Fe Prize for Photography.

Birnbaum taught illustration at Montserrat College of Art and has been teacher of the Photography Atelier classes at the Griffin Museum of Photography. Her work is held in the permanent collection of the Meditech Corporation, the Museum of Fine Art, Houston, the Lishui Museum of Photography in China and many private collections.

Alice Sachs Zimet | Griffin State of Mind

Posted on

Collecting 101: Why is Buying a Photograph Harder than Buying a Van Gogh Painting?

We are thrilled to have Art Advisor Alice Zimet be part of our Griffin faculty. This fall she has a class on collecting, from the basics of how, to the engaging question of why, and assisting in the what of bringing home a photograph that can start or feed a collection. Starting in September, this online class, Collecting 101, is perfect for those about to travel to Paris for Paris Photo, staying home to see an auction in New York, or head into a local gallery, wherever you may be.

Tell us a little about your background?

I have two degrees in art history and began my career as a summer intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The following year, the Met hired me to run its summer intern program (I was 22 years old!) and I’ve been in the art world ever since. After working in the museum world for a few more years, I was hired – the day I was interviewed – by The Chase Manhattan Bank where I created the first corporate sponsorship program in a commercial bank. As Director, Worldwide Cultural Affairs, I used the arts as a strategic marketing tool across 14 countries and 20 US cities to generate $2 Billion for the bank. 
At the same time, with a very small annual bonus, I began to collect photography. Today, I’ve amassed a collection of over 300 photographs. I chair two museum acquisition committees – at the Harvard Art Museums (photography) and at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City – and I’m also on the board of the Magnum Foundation. In addition to teaching for the Griffin Museum, I’m on faculty at the ICP School, Maine Media College + Workshops, LA Center of Photography and Christie’s Education, where I offer workshops on how to collect photography and how photographers can access the market. I’m also an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Graduate Program, Arts Administration, teaching ‘Corporate Sponsorship and the Arts’. 

Alice Zimet by Grace Roselli

How did your experiences culminate in a career in the art world?

I’ve never left the art world!! I’m just on career #3. First, I was in the museum world; next, in the corporate philanthropy / corporate sponsorship space; and now as a teacher and advisor tied to fine art photography.

Can you tell us about your business today?

In 1999, I founded a consulting boutique called Arts + Business Partners. I originally specialized in corporate sponsorship given I was a pioneer in the field. I worked with both business sponsors and with nonprofit arts groups, teaching each side how to create strategic partnerships. However, more recently, my business has shifted to focus the fine art photography marketplace, teaching workshops about collecting and advising buyers on acquisitions. My passion for photography won out!

© Alice Zimet

Why do you teach about collecting photography?

About 15 years ago when a photographer suggested that I teach about collecting photography, my immediate response was ‘this is my private world’ and I declined. Then I realized that no one was teaching how to collect photography. Given all the years I’ve collected – making good choices but also making mistakes – I wanted to share my knowledge and experience. My goal has always been to empower students to feel confident, ask the right questions, and to better navigate the complex world of fine art photography.

Tell us about your own photography collection.

I began to collect fine art photography in January 1985 and have amassed a museum-quality collection of over 300 images from 20th Century masters to the present. My first purchase was on a trip with the legendary curator, collector and partner to Robert Mapplethorpe, Sam Wagstaff, who had lent a portion of his collection to a museum on the eastern end of Long Island. I fell in love with one image. But when it came to buying another print of that image, I couldn’t buy just one. I felt the need for a second companion piece. And so, a collection was born. And to this day, I often buy in pairs or in threes.

I started to collect with two initial very personal themes: France and Artist Portraits, mostly in black and white. (My grandfather lived in France and I studied art history). My love of artist portraits morphed into emotional humanistic portraits of people living their lives, often showing deep humanity. These portraits usually address key social issues: identity, racism, loneliness, the challenges of adolescence, family relations, life on the streets of New York, but also the joy of living life to its fullest, whether as a young child or as an adult.

© Alice Zimet

Where does your passion for photography come from?

My photo passion was sparked when I interned at the International Center of Photography in 1975, the year ICP was founded. It took nearly 10 years for me to jump in and buy my first image. Back then, the photo world was still nascent, and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by this relatively small community. In fact, I had to defend my passion as everyone kept telling me ‘photography is not art.’ Boy, do they wish they had listened to me!

What are the key aspects of your new collecting class at the Griffin?

While photography is a multiple, each image is unique. This course teaches students what to consider before making a purchase and helps explain why buying photography can be so complex. Each week, we focus on a different subject — questions to ask before spending a penny, the marketplace and where to shop (for-profit and non-profit platforms) along with how to buy at auction. We also discuss budget considerations, signature indications, negative vs. print date, editions, condition issues as well as collection management. To round out the experience, the final class includes exclusive intimate visits (virtually) with two prominent photography dealers.

© Alice Zimet

What are the learning outcomes that students come away after spending 5 weeks with you?

First, those who initially felt overwhelmed by the photography market will feel more confident and knowledgeable. Second, students will feel empowered before buying a photograph. We teach them how to vet, do research and ask the right questions. Third, photographers will have a better grasp of what collectors might ask when considering a purchase and how this might impact their practice. Whether a collector or photographer, students leave the class with a greater understanding of today’s photography marketplace – from where to shop to today’s trends.

What is the most rewarding part of teaching?

I love to watch students become smart collectors. The most rewarding aspect? It’s to have students circle back after class has ended and ask for help with an acquisition. That is the greatest compliment a teacher could ask for…  nearly everyone wants to buy!

© Alice Zimet

If you had to give 3 words to describe yourself, what would they be?

Students like my enthusiasm, passion and energy. I love to connect people and enjoy making introductions to galleries for those who are curious about a particular photographer. But, most of all, I like to have fun.

What makes you unique as a photography educator?

I’ve been collecting photography for nearly 40 years and am a collector, first and foremost.  I’ve built a network of deep personal relationships across all aspects of the photography world – from dealers, installers, photographers to auction specialists. That said, I’m neutral. I do not represent any gallery or any photographer. I have a unique insider perspective and am honest, to a fault.  I’m overly generous when it comes to providing abundant tips. And while I’ve made a few mistakes over the years, I want to protect my students from making those same mistakes.   

What’s your #1 tip about collecting photography?

Buy with your heart then buy with your brain asking all the right questions. And never buy with your ears. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please join us online for an engaging look at the photography market. The first class is September 20, and runs through October 18, 2022. For more information, look here on our education page for the details.

About Alice Sachs Zimet

Alice Sachs Zimet is President, Arts + Business Partners, a consulting boutique specializing in the fine art photography marketplace.  As a collector, advisor, and educator, Alice began to collect fine art photography in 1985 and has amassed a museum-quality collection of over 300 images from 20th Century masters to the present. Alice is Chair, Photography Curatorial Committee, Harvard Art Museums; Chair, Acquisitions Committee, International Center of Photography (ICP); and a board member, Magnum Foundation. She is on Faculty at Christie’s Education, the ICP School and Maine Media College + Workshops, where she teaches workshops on how to collect photography and how photographers can better access the marketplace.  Zimet pioneered the field of corporate sponsorship as Director, Worldwide Cultural Affairs, The Chase Manhattan Bank (20 years). Here, she used the arts as a strategic marketing tool across 14 countries and 20 US cities to generate $2 Billion in new business for the bank.  She is Adjunct Professor, New York University’s Graduate Program, Arts Administration teaching Corporate Sponsorship and the Arts. Alice holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in Art History, began her career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and continues to live, work and collect in New York City.

Gail Samuelson | Griffin State of Mind

Posted on

It has been a true pleasure to see Gail Samuelson‘s work on the walls of the Atelier Gallery in Winchester this month. Her exhibition, Passing Through has layers of light, color and texture all mixing with the light and beauty of the gallery. Our visitors have been deeply engaged with the work, and its implied meanings. We wanted to know more about Gail and her work. We asked her a few questions about her creative process, her attachment to the museum, and to her beautiful works, and this is what she had to say.


Tell us how you first connected to the Griffin Museum.

I first visited the Griffin in 2010 on a field trip while taking the Photography Atelier when it was still being offered through the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. I fell in love with the space, the light, and the quirky setting next to a pond. But what excited me most was the prospect of our class showing work at the museum. It was a huge notch up from the hallways of Lesley! What I didn’t know at the time was how many good friends I’d make and the sense of community I’d find there.

I took the Photography Atelier six times, twice at Lesley University and four times at the Griffin Museum. In the Atelier, I learned how to hone in on a project via assignments about portraits, landscapes, and still lifes until something struck a chord with me.

After the Atelier, I took Emily Belz’s Topics in Photography classes “Sense of Place” and “Light and Color”. In Light and Color, I made images of light passing through my house, some of which would eventually find their way into Passing Through. Both classes had a big influence on me.

orange wall
yellow wall

Cerulean, Crimson, and Sunglow from the series Light House, © Gail Samuelson, 2021

How do you involve photography in your everyday life? Can you tell us about any images or artists that have caught your attention recently?

Mostly, I photograph the small, often fleeting, moments I notice as I go about my day, so I always have a camera with me. I like to photograph light and shadows in my house with a digital camera and when I’m exploring the landscape, I bring along a film camera (or two) because I like to shoot my landscapes with film. I have favorite spots both in Sherborn and in Orleans that I visit often; I almost always find something new to photograph or a new way to photograph.

For artists, there are so many but to name a few, I love Rinko Kawauchi’s 2010 Aperture book, “Illuminance” and the way she uses light, color, pattern, and how she sequences images. And as I’m writing this feature, I took a break to buy Barbara Bosworth’s “The Sea” from Radius books! I’ve been spending time on the cape this summer and am interested in the way the camera lens captures patterns created by the interaction of light, wind, sand, and water. I have Barbara’s first Radius book “The Meadow” and marvel at her dedication to a particular landscape. I also love all of S. Billie Mandle’s projects and I’m eager to delve into Teju Cole’s “Golden Apple of the Sun”. His kitchen images remind me of another favorite, Jan Groover.

Driftwood, from the series Passing Through © Gail Samuelson, 2019

Please tell us a little about your series Passing Through, and how it was conceived.

The series began in a rare “Aha” moment when I was studying my prints from two separate projects: one of landscapes where I live in Sherborn and on Cape Cod, and the other was Light House that had its origins in Emily’s Light and Color class. I noticed a kinship between them and started making pairs: of light and color; inside and outside; concrete and abstract.

Each pairing is a visual conversation about the interconnectedness of place, between the shelter and intimacy of being in my home and the quiet landscapes I discover outside my door. The images are from different places, but they form a consonant union. There’s a term in music, “counterpoint”, a relationship between two musical lines which are interdependent in their harmony yet independent in rhythm and melody. I love that and see a visual analogy when pairing my photographs.

Because I use different cameras for each project, my diptychs combine a square shaped landscape that I get from my film cameras, with a rectangular image of light in my house that I capture with my digital camera.

Winter Water, from Passing Through, © Gail Samuelson, 2019

Has there been a Griffin Museum exhibition that has particularly engaged or moved you?

“Leaps of Faith” was either the last or next to last exhibit at the Griffin Museum in March 2020 just before the pandemic forced the museum to close its doors to the public. The exhibit featured the work of Armani Willett, John Horvath, Walter Pickering, and Barbara Diener. It was a marvelous curation and installation, and I am drawn to how beautifully Barbara Diener layers patterns of color and light over her images.


What is your favorite place to escape to?

I live next to Rocky Narrows, a Trustees of Reservations property so when I need to “escape”, I just walk out my back door and explore the woods. It’s a restorative tonic for all the senses. I also love Maine: Rockport and its neighboring towns, home of Maine Media Workshops and a good friend of mine; and Acadia. I enjoy garden spaces, so I’ve made my reservation to visit the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay later this month.

What is a book, song or visual obsession you have at the moment?

On July 12th, we were dazzled by the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope’s ability to register infrared wavelengths combined with its enormous mirror and pixel resolution allowed us to see light from 13.7 billion years ago, just 100 million years after the Big Bang and creation of our universe!

­­If you could be in a room with anyone to have a conversation, who would it be and what would you talk about?

­David Byrne comes to mind. I’ve always loved the Talking Heads, his 1984 movie “Stop Making Sense”, the rhythmic layering of his songs, and his idiosyncratic movements on stage. My husband and I went to see “American Utopia” in early 2020 when it was in previews at the Emerson Colonial Theater, shortly before it closed due to the pandemic.

We’d talk about how he came up with his style of movement on stage, how he goes about writing a new song, and what he’s working on now.

To see more of Gail Samuelson‘s work visit her website. You can find her on Instagram @gailsamuelsonphoto

Marcy Juran – Griffin State of Mind

Posted on

Earlier this year we were pleased to have the work of Marcy Juran on the walls at our Griffin satellite gallery, WinCam. We wanted to spend more time with her to learn more about her passions, her process and creativity. We love her deeply detailed bouquets of colorful floral bounty, including wildflowers, weeds and grasses and hope you do too. We asked her a few questions, this is the result of that conversation.

In Imagined Gardens, you mix together plants which we may not typically see growing together in nature. How did you decide to pair certain plants together and design their composition?  

I typically start with one plant which will be the dominant one in the image – for example Queen Anne’s Lace, or Mountain Laurel, or the blossom of Milkweed. And then I select other flowers, foliage or vines which complement that bloom… sometimes it is with color, sometimes with the shape of the flower or vine, or texture. I move the various pieces around, at times enlarging them in such a way that they may be out of scale with other botanical parts of the image, to create my composition.  

© Marcy Juran – Wisteria, Buttercups

Climate change’s threat to native species is a major proponent behind Imagined Gardens. Is climate change a big motivator in your other works and daily life as well?  

Climate change is an issue which is increasingly affecting all of us. I live in coastal Connecticut, and in addition to the impact of recent heat waves and storms, am also very aware of the rising sea levels, especially here along the coast. There have been increasing floods with many of the storms in recent years. I also have a large pond in my backyard, which is a favorite subject, so I am photographing it throughout the seasons, and am very aware of the amount of water in it throughout the year.

Recently, I have been working to create a meadow in my yard as part of the Pollinator Pathway, a regional project which is encouraging gardeners to plant native species to support pollinators here in New England. For example, the native milkweed in several of my images (which grows along my driveway) is a favorite host of Monarch Butterflies. 

Did you actively search for specific plants to use or did you allow nature to dictate your composition?  

I have used a number of plants from my own yard – milkweed, dandelions, mountain laurel, mug wort, ajuga, honeysuckle. Many of the others grow within a few miles of where I live, and I watch for them as I drive around the area, trying to remember where I have seen them growing in other years.

© Marcy Juran – Wild Grasses, Hydrangea

The season for some of these is quite short-lived, so you have to pick them and scan them when you see them, as they may not be there next week! Occasionally, there are  “outliers” which are not in the area, for example, lupines, which are not common along the coast here, but grow in other parts of New England. I wanted that beautiful blue, so I had to go out searching for that.  

In your description of Imagined Gardens, you mentioned artists and authors who also were inspired by similar landscapes. Have any of their works directly inspired your photography?  

J. Alden Weir is an American Impressionist painter who lived in Wilton, CT, which is just north of here. His farm has become a National Park – actually the only National Park which is devoted to one artist! It has a beautiful meadow which appears in many of his paintings.  

I also love the quote of Thoreau – “In Wildness is the Preservation of the World”. This became the title of a book where photos of Eliot Porter were paired with Thoreau’s writings. A lot has been written about this quotation, and how it has been interpreted. Here is one easy: https://medium.com/thewildones/henry-david-thoreaus-most-misunderstood quote-3b31dfdeec78

Do you have a favorite John Singer Sargent or J. Alden Weir painting?  

I particularly like many of Weir’s paintings which were done on his farm in Branchville.  (Connecticut Landscape, Branchville, an oil, is one of these). He worked in oil, watercolor, and pastel, and often incorporated the stone walls and rolling fields of the farm into his work. Very few of the originals are in museums nearby, so I would love to see some of these “in person”,  and not just on the screen or in a book. 

© Marcy Juran – Thistle, Rhododendron, Eucalyptus

John Singer Sargent’s watercolors are favorites – I love Gourds, which is in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Not surprising, actually, as my most recent work “Humble Beauty” incorporates photos of fruits and vegetables.  

Beyond a photographer and artist, who is Marcy Juran? What would you like people to  know about you?  

I think that my favorite quote is from the philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel:

Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. 

This really sums it up – I think that one of our roles is to “bear witness” to the wonders of nature  around us. Additionally, I love to cook, garden, sing, and walk the local beach. I am constantly consulting the tide chart and the weather. There is nothing quite like a great moody sky over the Sound. 

When did you first start photographing and when did it turn into a career?  

I probably got my first camera at around the age of 11, but really did not pursue photography with any great interest until grad school at Cranbrook. I spent my earlier studies in art on printmaking and drawing at Brown. After graduation, I became interested in Graphic Design, which became my career, and I worked with many well-known photographers on my design projects.

© Marcy Juran – Viburnum, Red Clover, Fox Geranium

Although I did do some of my own work in grad school in the wet darkroom, I did not get seriously involved with my own photographic work until digital photography became more prevalent in the 1990’s. I began showing my work locally in Connecticut in the mid 90’s – both photography and printmaking, as well as some work with handmade paper and encaustic, and then began to pursue photography more specifically about ten years ago.

Do you have any upcoming projects which you would like to share about?  

I continue to add to the “Imagined Gardens” series, and currently am quite involved with the  work of “Humble Beauty”, as it is the height of harvest season. I am also beginning to work on a project involving my pond. And seeing where the now germinating meadow is taking me.  

What is your favorite season and why?  

Although I completely love that week in mid-April when the trees begin to leaf out in the most beautiful shade of green, and the daffodils and flowering cherries begin to pop, I have to say that increasingly summer is my favorite. I love the wildflowers, the vegetable gardens and farmer’s markets… today, the tomatoes at the market were so lush – lots of field-grown tomatoes have just come into season. Amazing colors and shapes. I love to cook, and to have such incredible produce is a blessing. Plus I can photograph it, and then eat it!  

I am also a huge fan of the beach and salt water, so this is the high season to enjoy that, and  visually it is spectacular as well.  

© Marcy Juran – Milkweed Pods

Are you a gardener yourself? If so, what do you like to grow?  

Yes, I am a gardener, and have been since I was given my first tomato plot by my parents at around the age of six. I still grow tomatoes, lots of herbs and greens, garlic, peppers, rhubarb.  And as I mentioned, I just started a meadow of native plants. My yard is also filled with ferns, mountain laurel, peonies, and quite a lot of trees – eastern red cedar, pin oaks, white oak, sugar maples, hemlock, white pine, Japanese maples, and probably a lot of others. And also far too many weeds – but of course, a lot of those become subjects for Imagined Gardens!

 

 

 

 

 

About Marcy Juran –

Marcy Juran is a visual artist with a practice that includes photography, encaustic and handmade paper. Juran’s focus explores themes of memory, myth, and the passage of time, combining personal narratives with the natural environs of her native New England. Her images have been recognized both nationally and internationally, and exhibited widely in galleries including the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Soho Photo Gallery, the Amarillo Museum of Art, Sohn Fine Art, the Davis Orton Gallery, the Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, the SE Center for Photography, and the A Smith Gallery, as well as many regional galleries in New England. Her work has been published in the publications Fraction, Lenscratch and Don’t Take Pictures. In 2021, her body of work Family History | Family Mystery was awarded an Honorable Mention in the exhibition 30 OVER 50|In Context at the Center for Fine Art Photography by juror Arnika Dawkins, as well as being awarded First Place in the 16th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards for Digital Manipulation & Collage. Her book, Saltmarsh Seasons, was selected for inclusion in the Eighth Annual Self-published Photobook Show (2017) at the Davis Orton Gallery and the Griffin Museum of Photography.

Juran holds an A.B. from Brown University, with a concentration in Studio Art, focused on printmaking, with additional studies in graphic design, printmaking, and photography at the Rhode Island School of Design, Cranbrook, and the Maine Media Workshops. She is an exhibiting member of the New Canaan Society for the Arts, the Rowayton Arts Center, and the Ridgefield Guild of Artists, and works from her studio in Westport, Connecticut.

To see more of Marcy Juran‘s beautiful work, log onto her website and find her on Instagram @marcyjuran

Donna Dangott | Griffin State of Mind

Posted on

It is a great pleasure to showcase the words and talents of Donna Dangott. Her beautiful exhibition, Hidden in Plain View was on the Griffin Gallery’s wall in June of this year. This intricate and layered work, emotionally and visually draws you in, grabs you and holds your attention as you unveil each layer in the work. We wanted to know more about her creative process, the ideas behind this body of work, and her connection to the Griffin. This is what she had to say.

How did you first connect to the Griffin Museum?

I became acquainted with the Griffin Museum in early 2021. I was exploring what galleries and other institutions in New England that might be of interest to me for consuming their offerings, but also, to possibly exhibit my own work at some point. It was around that time I first became acquainted with Paula Tognarelli, the former director of the Griffin Museum. She had seen some of my work on exhibition at Sohn Fine Art Gallery in Lennox, MA and reached out to me. She was interested in that work and offered me some very wise and valuable advice. And she purchased a piece for her private collection too. Our paths eventually, and happily, crossed again and again. I am forever grateful for that connection. The Griffin, and current director, Crista Dix, have also grown to be important in my career and my ability to continue to learn and grow through all that they offer to our creative community. I have been fortunate to have developed several friendships across the miles with other members of this community as well. 

How do you involve photography into your everyday life?

I very rarely have a day now that does not involve photography on some level. If I am not actively working on one or more of my own projects, fulfilling an assignment or purchase of work, managing the calendar of exhibition deadlines, and taking care of other business matters on behalf of my studio practice, well then, I am otherwise spending time reading and researching, visiting exhibitions in galleries or museums, either in person or virtually, taking workshops or attending lectures, networking with other artists here in Texas or across the country, and trying to stay in touch with what is going on in photography and the broader world of visual art here and abroad. 

Are there any images or artists who have caught your attention lately?

There are too many to list here really. There are so many truly gifted visual artists, and I discover somebody new to me almost every week. I am humbled on a daily basis to be considered part of this community. I have very eccentric tastes in art and photography—ranging from very traditional to very modern or contemporary—and I enjoy all media. At the moment I am very attracted to the work of two artists—Holly Roberts and Daisy Patton– who each combine photography, collage and painting in their works. Their work is very different in their styles and subject matter, but both artist’s works resonate deeply with me. And, I aim to explore more of the mixed-media methods that they utilize and incorporate that into some of my own work. So, I find their work particularly inspiring, but also, they express their chosen narratives so beautifully and eloquently. If you are not already familiar with their work you should visit their websites. 

holly roberts wolf
© Holly Roberts   https://hollyrobertsstudio.com/  
Daisy Patton https://www.daisypatton.com

Tell a little about your recent exhibition ‘Hidden In Plain View’ and how it was conceived.

This series actually grew out of another series titled ‘In The Garden’ , and really, they overlap to some degree. It began during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic lock-down, during which I spent a concentrated period of time reflecting on personal history throughout my life, and contemplating ways that I could incorporate some of it into my visual work in a meaningful way. I was beginning to develop my skills more in photomontage and other ways to blend together various images digitally at that time too. Like many other creative folks I was also just feeling extremely vulnerable to all that was going on in our world—on many fronts. Retreating to my gardens and the natural world has always been nurturing and healing to me. I have found that working out a visual project intellectually, emotionally, and creatively is too. Over several months time I worked further on combining images of human sculptural forms with botanical motifs and developed many strong images that expressed visually how many of us survivors of childhood abuse and trauma perceive ourselves at times or how we learn to cope with our experiences. At times in our lives we literally are hiding in plain view. This series has been so well received and I have been deeply touched by the generous and thoughtful conversations shared with me by others who have seen it. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to share this work at The Griffin. The whole series that appeared at recently at The Griffin can be viewed on my website: https://www.ddangott.com/

person staring at you
© Donna Dangott – Envisioning the Garden
person eyes closed
© Donna Dangott – Dreaming of the Garden

Has there been a Griffin Museum exhibition that has particularly engaged or moved you?

I actually find most ALL of them engaging and many are indeed very moving. I applaud The Griffin for their commitment to showcasing emerging talent, as well as, those artists who have long established and illustrious careers. The exhibitions are truly rich and quite diverse. There is something to learn from each and every one of them. Living in Texas I am not able to view in person many of the exhibitions there, but I certainly do enjoy them all in a virtual format. And I tune into the artist’s talks as often as I am able. Last Summer I was in Boston for a few days and had the opportunity to view in person a couple of exhibitions that I still think about even now. One was Vaune Trachtman’s ‘Now is Always’ exhibit in the Atelier Gallery. I loved the concept of the series. The images were just magical and her photogravure prints were exquisite. And in the main gallery was the ‘Spirit: Focus on Indigenous Art, Artists and Issues’ exhibition. I found that to be a very powerful exhibition to view in person—as much for the imagery as the subject matter in general. Donna Garcia’s and Meryl McMaster’s images were particularly moving to me. 

people on a road
© Vaune Trachtman, “Strand (detail of tryptic)”
woman shaking head
© Donna Garcia, “Muscogee”

What is your favorite place to escape to?

My ‘happy place’ can usually be found outdoors on a hiking trail in some remote place or wandering along a deserted stretch of shoreline. I love to explore new landscapes as much as I enjoy returning to old, favorite territory too. I haven’t had near enough time out ‘on the trails’ these past two years due to deadlines and other demands on time, combined with some travel restrictions for one reason or another. However, I am about to embark on a 12 day journey through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River where I will be rafting and hiking each day. The southwest desert terrain has been like my second home for 40 years. In contrast, I am spending all of September in Scotland where the environment is completely different. I very much am looking forward to that adventure too. I plan to stretch my legs and my spirit, shoot new work, sketch, write and contemplate my projects for the next many months ahead. 

What is a book, song or visual obsession you have at the moment?

I actually have very broad musical tastes. And the same goes for my reading materials. I have lately become smitten with Flamenco music. It is incredibly passionate and expressive. If you aren’t familiar with it, check out Sabicas, Stefan, and Jesse Cook. However, I am usually listening to very contemplative music by Max Richter, Phillip Glass, Olafur Arnalds, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, among many others. At the moment I am reading Down the Great Unknown by Edward Dolnick. It is the story of “John Wesley Powell’s 1869 journey of discovery and tragedy through the Grand Canyon” as he and a handful of other men explore it for the first time. It seemed appropriate to learn more of that history for my approaching journey in the canyon. At age 64 I am still very eager for new adventures. If the spirits are willing I hope that there will be many more ahead yet in my art and the rest of my life too. 

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a conversation, who would it be and what would you talk about?

© Georgia O’Keefe

I would love to have met Georgia O’Keeffe and to spend time with her. I have always admired her fierce independence and commitment to creating not only her own exquisite and sensual art but to living life on her own terms. I would love to just walk through the desert with her and share the marvels of every stone or curve of the terrain, as well as, the expanse of the sky that goes on and on. Nobody else has captured that realm quite like she did in her work. Seeing her work in person is like a spiritual experience for me. The O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe has a wonderful collection of her works and it is well worth a visit. 

To see more of Donna Dangott’s body of work, head to her website. Find her on Instagram @ddangott

Olga Merrill | Griffin State of Mind

Posted on

Olga Merrill’s textured photographic work, Enigma, was on the walls of our Atelier Gallery in June 2022. We wanted to know more about her creative journey and how the work inspired her and in turn inspires us. We asked her a few questions, and this is what she had to say.

Tell us how you first connected to the Griffin Museum.

© Andre Kertesz, Distortion, image courtesy MOMA

My first connection with Griffin Museum was in July 2019 at the reception of the Juried Members Show. My husband and I came to congratulate photographers I knew and know now. I became a member after and only one thing I regretted that I did not join earlier. My works have been part of a few exhibitions, I enjoyed a lot of online events as well. My gratitude to the Griffin Museum for everything.

How do you involve photography in your everyday life? Can you tell us about any images or artists that have caught your attention recently?

I was not shooting as intensively last year as I did before. In any case photography and other media are part of my everyday life. I love to make warm tea, set up music and look through wonderful images. I recently got the first edition catalog of Andre Kertesz: The Mirror as Muse. I love studying his Distortion images now.

Please tell us a little about your series Enigma, and how it was conceived.

The concept of this series was born after I became a citizen of the USA. I still have my original citizenship as well. The duality, feeling as I am personally in between two worlds, literally and metaphorically. My “Enigma” is my interpretation of the relationship between our human existence and the Earth. 

© Olga Merrill
man looking up
© Olga Merrill, Fortitude

We all witness the endless flux of life. I invite and provoke the viewer to see deeply into what mysteries are hidden in the intimate corners of the soul. I hope that in the end, one finds answers as to what legacies will be left behind.

correia - peeking
© Susan Irene Correia

Has there been a Griffin Museum exhibition that has particularly engaged or moved you?
This year I enjoyed the exhibition ” E. caballus: The Domesticated Horse“, a wonderful group of photographers, fabulous prints and installations. The horse can be a metaphor for your world and life. A steady rhythmic horse provides riders with an opportunity to move up the scale and to accomplish new things. Take inventory of your world.  What horse are you riding?

What is your favorite place to escape to?
Escape from what and why?  Perhaps some people are trying to escape from themself thinking that they are escaping somewhere. You cannot escape from yourself.

city view from water
© Olga Merrill, Friday Night

What is a book, song or visual obsession you have at the moment?

I always love to listen to music by Jean Michel Jarre, especially when I am doing post-processing of my photos. The “Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World” by Haruki Murakami is on my table, I want to read it again.

man looking right
© Olga Merrill, Invisible Thoughts
man with weeds in eye
© Olga Merrill, The Moment

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a conversation, who would it be and what would you talk about?

If God can be called “anyone” it will be God. The topic of conversation will remain a mystery to the public.

To see more of Olga Merrill‘s work, log onto her website. You can find her on Instagram @merrill.olga

Philip Sager – Griffin State of Mind

Posted on

Tell us how you first connected to the Griffin Museum.

I have been aware of the Griffin for a number of years and attended some talks, and then had the pleasure of meeting met Paula Tognarelli at Photolucida in 2019.  A year afterwards had the opportunity to visit the Griffin Museum in the summer of 2020 and became enthralled with the museum because of the wonderful exhibition spaces and the uniqueness of a museum dedicated to photography.  The idea of having my work shown at this terrific institution has been a dream for me.

How do you involve photography in your everyday life? Can you tell us about any images or artists that have caught your attention recently?

I carry a camera when I am out and being highly visually oriented, I am usually connected to my environment.  My photographic process is intuitive and requires a high degree of mindfulness- I do not think (unlike most of the rest of my life!) but just take pictures of what I am pulled to.  My work is highly connected with my emotional life and inner world.

Right now I am appreciating the multi-layered complexity of Blue Mitchel’s and Odette England’s work as well as the strong emotional aspects of Susan Burnstine’s and Cig Harvey’s photographs.

Odette England “Mum 3 right Foot”

 

  • Please tell us a little about your series “Veiled Actualities” and how it was conceived.

Veiled Actualities includes selections from four closely related bodies of work (https://www.philipsagerphoto.com) and stems from explorations that mirror the disjointed, fragmented and conflicted nature of my personal experiences, using visual metaphors that layer textures, reflecting internal chaos and emotional turbulence.  I have always been fascinated by multi-layered complex imagery as I feel that it accurately portrays the reality of human experience, which is inherently complex.  Thus, it is important to me that the photographs are from the real world and are created “in camera” as single images without multiple exposures or added content during post-processing.

I am influenced by growing up in New York City where I was enthralled by shop windows, reflecting the constant activity and often chaotic moments of the city, mirroring a fleeting and mesmerizing world.

© Philip Sager

The work also informs perception.  Our brains simplify visual imagery as we perceive, absorb and comprehend information. Normally our eyes see all of the visual information but our brains simplify to one or two major objects. In taking these pictures based in the real world, the camera lets us see the rich visual complexity and multiple layers that we do not conventionally perceive due to our mind’s tendency to simplify.

Has there been a Griffin Museum exhibition that has particularly engaged or moved you?

© Philip Sager

We live in San Francisco and Half Moon Bay, where we have 5 horses and the

current exhibition “E. caballus: The Domesticated Horse”, which is extraordinary, really speaks to me and my wife.

What is your favorite place to escape to?

I love the quiet solitude of ocean views. We escape to Big Sur and Elk several times a year to leave the world behind us, absent cell phone connectivity!

What is a book, song or visual obsession you have at the moment?

Currently I am re-reading “Art and Fear”.

If you could be in a room with anyone to have a conversation, who would it be and what would you talk about?

Milton Rauschenberg-  would love to discuss how he conceived his complex artworks.

You’ve described this multilayered approach as crucial to exploring the disjointed and conflicted nature of your personal experiences. Can you tell us more about that and why you’ve focused on this theme?

© Philip Sager

I take pictures intuitively and this focus initially happened unconsciously.  I was doing street photography, which in retrospect tended to be multilayered, when I pointed my camera one day at a storefront and was amazed by the reflected surface and the complexity of the image.   

I found the experience to be transformative.  I found this image and a few more that closely followed more interesting and emotional to me than the street photography I had been doing.  I continued to take pictures along similar lines and to explore their emotional content and visual complexity.  I came to see that the multiple layers speak to the convoluted nature of our existence in general, and to me personally about my inner world and feelings of chaos, fragmentation, and fragility.  

© Philip Sager

Additionally, in terms of how these photographs relate to perception, our brains simplify visual content, in order to make what we see understandable, but in reality human experience is quite complex.  For example, one might have a major emotional reaction to something, but usually there are multiple and occasionally conflictual emotions.  In a similar way, we may “see” one or 2 objects, but looking closer, we find that the visual experience is more nuanced.

I have had to train my mind to see this complexity.

© Philip Sager

What does photography mean to you and why is it your chosen medium? 

I started taking pictures as a child and love that the medium is rooted in the real world, but is also directly connected to my inner world.  I find that magical.  The experience of taking photographs puts me into a mindful state where I am not thinking, but relying on intuition.  I am also enthralled by the serendipitous experience of discovery.

What inspired you to take up photography (and when was this)?

As a child around 8 years old I got my first camera- a Kodak Instamatic 100 and was delighted in recording my experiences in the real world; I found a direct connection to pictures that did not exist for me with painting or sketching.

Are you working on any other projects at the moment? If so, could you talk about them?

Yes, I have several other projects.  The most developed is called American Interiors and is on my website (https://www.philipsagerphoto.com/american-interiors).  This series reflects different cultural and ethnic influences in our society and how people choose to decorate their personal, yet public, spaces. They explore individual creativity and the desire to beautify their environment. To me, their efforts and creations are touching and make me want to know more about the people behind these spaces and their stories. The multi-layered visual complexity of the images raises questions about perception and

© Philip Sager

illusion.

How do you approach naming your exhibitions? 

I spend a lot of time writing and trying to distill the title down to the core aspects and I speak with different people to understand what resonates for them

How do you know when a work is “finished”? 

When I keep essentially taking the same photographs and the excitement wains.

Perceiving Pathways | Astrid Reischwitz

Posted on

The Griffin Museum celebrates the craft of photography in all of its forms, as well as highlighting visual artists at the beginning of their creative journey. Over the past thirty years, showcasing luminaries of photography, we have had the pleasure of working with many emerging talents. Perceiving Pathways is a series of interviews, conducted by Tori Currier, looking at some of the artists who have hung on our walls. In conversations with them about their creative paths, often beginning with their first exhibition with us, we share these conversations about the many ways art practices can evolve, and spotlight the various decisions and influences that come together to create the artworks you see. 

It is our hope that these engaging conversations are an opportunity to connect with and learn from artists about themselves and their processes, cultivating deeper appreciation of their artwork and a broader understanding of the photographic arts.

Astrid Reischwitz is a lens-based artist whose work explores storytelling from a personal perspective. Using keepsakes from family life, old photographs, and storytelling strategies, she builds a visual world of memory, identity, place, and home. Her current focus is the exploration of personal and collective memory influenced by her upbringing in Germany.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Astrid about her creative path starting with her 2012 Griffin Exhibition, Street Art, up to her recent series such as Stories from the Kitchen Table and Spin Club Tapestry, in which she uses embroidered fabric and handsewn embroidery to explore her inner self and cultural past.

How would you describe your exhibition experience at the Griffin? 

“Street Art” is an early portfolio, capturing various layers of urban life and the interaction and relationships between them. It was one of my first solo shows and it was very exciting to exhibit at the Griffin Museum during my early days as a photographer. It was an important learning experience for me and a great trajectory for my work.

Crouching Figure, Wynwood – Street Art, ©
Astrid Reischwitz

What did you learn from your earliest solo shows?

Be prepared, be patient, and enjoy the moment.

Tell us how your work has evolved since your 2012 exhibition, Street Art.

At first glance, my projects seem very diverse, but they are all personal and grounded in my curiosity about the world. I want to be able to work with different aspects of life as I experience it, and I think that it is important to adjust the visual language of photography accordingly. In Street Art, I observed my surroundings and looked outward, whereas in following projects, my focus became more and more about exploring my inner self and my past. 

Important for my inspiration is the fact that I lived abroad and that my original home is so far away in Germany. In most of my work, there are traces of the culture I grew up in, from The Bedroom Project to The Gift of Regret.  My recent portfolio now focuses on the themes of memory, culture, and heritage.  

In The Gift of Regret series, you photographed found objects, including cellophane-wrapped meat and books, by way of exploring your history and values. Could you tell us a bit about how you selected these objects? Was the process at all similar to choosing bedrooms to photograph in The Bedroom Project?

Regret #4, The Gift of Regret © Atstrid Reischwitz

In The Gift of Regret, I deliberately chose everyday objects that symbolize changes and lessons in my life. By wrapping or presenting them as gifts, I preserve and honor them in my memory before symbolically giving away the regret. 

In The Bedroom Project, I created intimate portraits of the couples and individuals through their private sanctuaries, where secrets are shared and dreams are dreamt. The approach for this series was different as it was always an unknown and a surprise what I might encounter. Even the short amount of time I spent in these private rooms left me with a better understanding of the individual.

2020 – 2021 were reflective years for many of us. They, too, have shown us how supportive art communities are. Which new thoughts or discoveries about your work/practice and role in the photography community will inform it in the New Year?

© Atstrid Reischwitz

I was very grateful to see that most institutions like the Griffin Museum continued to showcase photographic work during the pandemic and put up a wonderful online learning program that made it possible to participate from anywhere in the world. I plan to take advantage of some these programs from the US or even from Germany in the new year. 

As part of a global audience, what does your ideal online learning program look like?

I enjoy online classes that help to enrich my understanding of photography. That can be anything from a critique class to a one day workshop about a specific topic. 

Reflecting on your path so far, what is one hope or ambition for 2022?

I hope to evaluate the possibility of creating a book based on my recent work Spin Club Tapestry. It would be a new challenge for me.

Spinneklump | Spin Club Tapestry, © Astrid Reischwitz

Regarding Street Art, you shared with us that you chose a slow shutter speed to create a relationship between the motion of people fleeting by and the brevity of the artwork. What else has informed either your style or subject matter, ranging from life experiences to favorite media, that viewers wouldn’t perhaps expect? 

In my Street Art project, I endeavored to capture the connection between street art and its surrounding and the reaction of people encountering the artwork. Connecting different aspects is an important element in all of my work. 

Years ago, my mother handed me a pile of embroidered tablecloths, a family custom that I disregarded as old fashioned. I never thought that it would surface again. It did! While I was working on Stories from the Kitchen Table, a series about my family heritage, the fabric surfaced again. 

In the composite images of Stories from the Kitchen Table present and past stand side by side but are often connected with binding elements, with fragmented images of vintage fabric. 

I started to see the importance of the embroidered fabric as a way to “stitch” together the present and past and to build a bridge to the future. Tablecloths, napkins and wall hangings have been passed down from generation to generation. Many times, theses fabrics were created as part of a dowry and kept safe for years in a beautiful trunk.  For centuries, women used the symbolism in their embroidery as a form to express themselves and to communicate. Learning the language of embroidery, the technique and pattern was part of their education; it was their legacy. 

This newfound appreciation of needlework informed the creation of the series Spin Club Tapestry by including hand-sewn embroidery on the photograph. The use of embroidery is a way to overcome the barrier of memory, the barrier of time and to learn how the culture I grew up in influenced me. It deepened my understanding and made me feel more connected to my heritage. 

Shadow and Light | Stories from the Kitchen Table, © Astrid Reischwitz

In Stories from the Kitchen Table, how did you decide which images and fabrics to put side by side? Were overall narrative and visual storytelling considered?

The concept of the images focuses on a dialogue between present and past, between my personal perspective today, and what happened in the past. Present and past stand side by side, connected by binding elements and/or “stitched” together by fragmented images of fabric. 

I often start with an old family photo and see if I remember anything about the scene and what grabs my attention. Is there an underlying theme, a story that comes to surface? Once I have identified the basic story, will look for an image that compliments the tale I would like to tell. The choice of fabric supports the general design of each image.

By bridging the past and present in series like Stories from the Kitchen Table and Spin Club Tapestry, which aspects of your inner self, as it relates to your family history and culture, have become significant to your work’s narrative?

One aspect of my inner self is my desire to answer questions about my past which helps me to understand my own personal goals and how the culture I grew up in shaped me.

In Spin Club Tapestry, I’m specifically interested in the role of women in that society and the way they found strength through community despite many limitations and hardships.

Based on personal experiences, another topic that I’m interested in is exploring the psychological impact of WWII on the war children and following generations. Experiences of external and internal destruction live on in my generation and are the essence of unprocessed history that I photograph in the series Inheritance.

Portrait #3 | Inheritance, © Astrid Reischwitz

You’re a photographer, so you’re intrinsically a viewer too! How have your ways of viewing and engaging with photographic art changed over the years? Have they been shaped by how you might prefer your own work to be viewed?

When looking at photography now, I’m curious to learn more about the ideas behind the picture or the series. Photography is so much more than capturing a single image. It’s a way of communicating, a way to connect with the world, and a way to share one’s perspective. 

I approach my work as visual storytelling with photography as a central element and perceive myself as a lens-based artist, increasingly using other elements including composites, embroidery, and installations. 

How do you define “lens-based artist”? It certainly sounds encompassing of your work’s elements!

I like the term “lens-based” because it leaves a door open to include art techniques that go beyond photography and the classic photographic print. This is especially true for my embroidered work for “Spin Club Tapestry”, as well as installations that I have included in exhibitions.

As creatives, we’re always looking to grow. So, what is one metric of artistic growth as a photographer?

I hope that people will be inspired to contemplate on the work and the concepts behind them, and connect on a personal level by reflecting on their own personal stories.

Astrid Reischwitz is a lens-based artist whose work explores storytelling from a personal perspective. Using keepsakes from family life, old photographs, and storytelling strategies, she builds a visual world of memory, identity, place, and home. Her current focus is the exploration of personal and collective memory influenced by her upbringing in Germany.

Reischwitz has exhibited at national and international museums and galleries including the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Newport Art Museum, Griffin Museum of Photography, Danforth Art Museum, Photographic Resource Center, The Center for Fine Art Photography (CO), Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, Center for Photographic Art (CA), FotoNostrum, BBA Gallery, Dina Mitrani Gallery and Gallery Kayafas.

She has received multiple awards, including the 2020 Griffin Award at the Griffin Museum of Photography and the Multimedia Award at the 2020 San Francisco Bay International Photo Awards.  Her series “Spin Club Tapestry” was selected as a Juror’s Pick at the 2021 LensCulture Art Photography Awards and is the Series Winner at the 2021 Siena International Photo Awards. She is a four-time Photolucida Critical Mass Top 50 photographer and is a Mass Cultural Council 2021 Artist Fellowship Finalist in Photography.

Reischwitz is a graduate of the Technical University Braunschweig, Germany, with a PhD in Chemistry. After moving to the US, she fell in love with photography and began her journey to explore life through creating art.

She is represented by Gallery Kayafas in Boston, Massachusetts.

 

Follow Astrid’s Path to Creativity:


Website: www.reischwitzphotography.com

Instagram: @astridreischwitz

Tori Currier is a curatorial intern at the Griffin Museum of Photography and a senior at Smith College majoring in Art History. Passionate about the photographic arts and public education, she strives to support artists at the Griffin by developing educational features which spotlight their work and amplify their voices.

Instagram: @torilcurrier

 

MENU