December 13 – January 12, 2025
Reception for the Artist – Friday December 13th – 6 to 8pm
Reception for December exhibitions – Saturday December 14th – 6 to 8pm
Homeshadows is a study of solitude. Over the course of a year and at the height of the pandemic in 2020, I found myself in a new home and very much alone on a day-to-day basis. As an introvert and sometimes anxious person, it was a bit of a dream come true. But while I wasn’t exactly lonely, I was yearning to use my time creatively and feel connected to something while the world outside raged. I began to document the light and shadows that streamed through the windows of my house. Everything in my home was new to me, and I had the pleasure of watching the seasons unfold from the inside. I sometimes put myself in the images to round out the developing narrative. I worked to capture light and manage composition with great attention to mood and detail in order to convey the sense of solitude, beauty, and mystery that I was experiencing during this period of time. Although I had been taking photographs for many years, this was my first intentional series and attempt at cohesive storytelling through images.
I am eager to continue the path of storytelling through photography. The grant money would be used towards printing and framing expenses for my series Homeshadows, as well as for a new project which explores the following theme: things women hide from themselves and others.
My love of photography began as a young girl leafing through my mother’s Vogue magazines and feeling enthralled by the lush images within. As a pre-teen I made images of my family with a Kodak Instamatic 100, and documented the mundane details of my day-to-day life. It seemed that everything looked more glamorous printed on 4×4 squares, accompanied by strips of eerie negatives. I was hooked. As an adult photographing a world which is increasingly complex, my lens seeks out simple, quiet subjects that are familiar yet presented in a distinctive way. Influenced by the work of Vivian Maier, Gordon Parks, and Sally Mann, I’m drawn to photographing people in the world around me. Whether that world is within my own four walls or a country I’ve never stepped foot in, my desire to observe others is the foundation for a great deal of my work. By sharing my images, I hope to spark human connections and emphasize our commonality through a moment captured in time.
About Bridget Jourgensen
I grew up in the era of Kodak film and heavy 35mm cameras with popping flashbulbs that were too hot to touch after being used. I still remember how my mother would eject them into the nearest ashtray where they would smolder and sizzle for a bit.
My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic 100. I made images of my room, my family, myself, my pets – the usual things. My ordinary life somehow seemed glamorous when printed on 4×4 squares, accompanied by strips of eerie negatives. I was hooked.
Thousands of photographs later, the joy of shooting and editing endures, particularly as I uncover themes in my work that have emerged over the years.
The Griffin Museum of Photography is thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024 John Chervinsky Emerging Photographer Scholarship, Bridget Jourgensen. Her series Homeshadows captivated this year’s jury to earn her a monetary award, an upcoming exhibition and artist talk at the Griffin Museum as well as a volume from the collection of photographer John Chervinsky.
Over 281 photographers submitted applications to be considered for the scholarship this year. The jurors, Arlette and Gus Kayafas, Frazier King and Bruce Myren have selected Bridget Jourgensen as the 2024 recipient of the John Chervinsky Emerging Photographer Scholarship.
