Atelier

Name: Variations of You: The Expressive Self-Portrait with Eileen Powers (2 in person and 2 online Saturdays)
Start: 2023-03-04T09:00:00-05:00
End: 2023-03-04T12:00:00-05:00
Location: The Griffin Museum of Photography

Atelier 33 | Marc Goldring

Posted on March 11, 2021

In this highlight of the Atelier 33 exhibition, we interviewed Marc Goldring about his current collection, Vision of Trees. Marc’s work, on view in the Griffin Main Gallery until March 26, 2021, documents the sculptural forms of trees and the stories that theses ancient beings can tell.

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

© Marc Goldring – Two Trees

I walk around Jamaica Pond just about every day and generally walk past an amazing beech trees and two glorious sycamore trees. I have dozens of shots of both of those trees and I’ve been honing my ability to capture what I see in them. Most of my work tends toward abstraction – enigmatic images where you need to look long and hard to understand what you’re looking at. The image called “Two Trees” was the first time I really was able to create an image that worked in that way. After that, with the impetus of Atelier, I worked to flesh out a series, some of which are more narrative and portrait-like than my work usually is.

How has your photography changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic?

I’m still interested in the same sort of images that always attracted me but I have so much more time to work that I’m spending a lot more time shooting and processing. The other shift is that I don’t print as much – jpegs are the name of the game more often than not. Thing is, you can get away with a lot more with an image on a screen as opposed to paper! So I think it’s made me be a bit more adventurous in my post-processing.

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

I find these ancient trees inspiring. They live slow lives which I imagine allows for greater intention and reflection, at least it would for me, if I could slow down! I would like people to look more carefully at trees, at the ways in which our human lives intersect and interact with trees and the rest of the natural world.

MG - tree by the river — **How has your inspiration for photography changed throughout your life changed as your surroundings changed?**

I started out shooting to supplement the narrative reports I wrote on my consulting projects, working with arts organizations. Mostly people shots and the odd interesting perspective to make the reports less dense with words.
It’s only been 4-5 years since I stopped consulting, that I’ve really focused on themes and series of images that work together as a group. Much more challenging, more fun!

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I have several on-going projects, one of which is this portfolio of trees. I also am working on a series of shots of my grandson with whom I hope, once again, I will get to spend a great deal of time with. Beyond that, who knows!

Find more of Marc Goldring‘s work on his website and on his Facebook.

Photography Atelier 33 | Artist Reception

Posted on January 23, 2021

Join us on February 21st at 7pm for a special event celebrating the new work of Photography Atelier 33.

Exhibiting photographers of Photography Atelier 33 are: Julia Arstorp, Peter Balentine, Terry Bleser, Sally Bousquet, Lisa Cassell-Arms, Diana Cheren Nygren, Edie Clifford, Sue D’Arcy Fuller, Kathy DeCarlo-Plano, Angela Douglas-Ramsey, Amy Eilertsen, Marc Goldring, Sandy Gotlib, Sandy Hill, Roselle McConnell, Judith Montminy, Bonnie Newman, Karyn Novakowski, Diane Shohet, Anne Smith Duncan, Jim Turner, Amir Viskin and Jeanne Widmer.

Julia Arstorp – Invisible Threads
Invisible Threads is a visual narrative about connections and identity found through family stories and childhood memories.

Peter Balentine – Home Markets
In Home Markets, Peter Balentine discovers an interesting variety of markets in houses in Lynn, MA reflecting the ethnic diversity of this gateway immigrant city.

Terry Bleser – Searching for a Sense of Home
Searching for a Sense of Home in a new place.

Sally Bousquet – All the Fish in the Sea
All the Fish in the Sea explores the troubling consequences of our worldwide reliance on plastic.

Lisa Cassell-Arms – Aide-Memoire (An aid to memory)
A contemplation of gardens: where tended space meets the tangled edges beyond.

Diana Cheren Nygren – Just Another Alice
“In the series “Just Another Alice“, I explore the ways that I have coped with the confinement of the pandemic, and the memories of past travels in which I have taken solace.”

Edie Clifford – The Architect called Light
“My project is to explore the idea of Light as the architect of the forms and spaces of the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University.”

Sue D’Arcy Fuller – The Stars of Our Days
“During the Covid 19 Pandemic, I taught children about nature at a farm. In those extraordinary times, the chickens were often The Stars of Our Days.”

Kathy DeCarlo-Plano – Revitalize
Seeing how these historic autos have withstood the hardships of the world’s harsh elements has enlightened and revitalized me that the present stress we jointly face, shall soon pass.

Angela Douglas-Ramsey – Carbon Copy
“My daughter Rose: she is of me, like me, and more than me. The ways in which we resemble one another outwardly are echoed in the ways we resemble each other inwardly.”

Amy Eilertsen –Memento Vivere: A study of life
“Retaining underlying intent of momento mori painting in Dutch Realism of the 17^th century, I work with live animals in still-life scenes which remind us that life is now, here and in this moment.”

Marc Goldring – Visions of Trees
In his project Visions of Trees, Marc focuses on the stories trees tell: about their own lives, their interactions one another and with humans. His aim to highlight the grace and tenacity of these living beings with which we share the planet.

Sandy Gotlib – Framingham Farms
Framingham Farms captures visual impressions of some of the few remaining farms in Framingham.

Sandy Hill – American Decor
“After a tumultuous year filled with isolation and conflict, I felt the need to search for a connection to people who share my country, regardless of beliefs, views or background they chose to celebrate life during a pandemic.”

Roselle McConnell – In His Shoes
A sequential journey of one boy’s life from infancy to adulthood in his father’s shoes.

Judith Montminy – Dancing Alone
Dancing Alone focuses on the playful performance of unchoreographed dances when water interacts with a variety of elements – air, glass, acrylic ink, food coloring, and oil.

Bonnie Newman – Morning Impressions: Cape Cod
A Personal Vision of Cape Cod Landscapes: Fleeting and Fragile; Serene and Inviting.

Karyn Novakowski – Some Things Remain the Same
“Some Things Remain the Same is an ongoing project documenting how our home became the center of our lives – for safety, for connection, and for entertainment – during Covid-19 pandemic.”

Diane Shohet – An Enduring Place
“An Enduring Place is a collection of portraits that capture my 20 summers in the “Little House” in Wellfleet, MA.”

Anne Smith Duncan – Illusions (Landscape)
The series Illusions (Landscape) plays with our visual perception; photographs of two-dimensional flat concrete surfaces can be perceived as three-dimensional landscapes.

Jim Turner – Seeing in Threes
This collection of botanical triptychs provides a glimpse into the sometimes unseen beauty of the natural world.

Amir Viskin – Ephemeral Abstractions
“In this project I experimented with ephemeral elements in nature to create abstract images meant to ask myself questions regarding the perception of time and place.”

Jeanne Widmer – Dejaview
This series depicts the consequences when a modern office park despoils an adjacent grass and tree-filled wetland.

Photography Atelier is a 12-session portfolio and project building course for emerging to advanced photographers offered through the Griffin Museum of Photography. Now in its 24th year, the Photography Atelier class 33 was led by photographer Meg Birnbaum with assistance from photographer Sue D’Arcy Fuller. You can view all of the work of the Photography Atelier over the years including Photography Atelier 33.

Photography Atelier 34 with Molly Lamb- Thursday AM (Online)

Posted on December 17, 2020

The Photography Atelier 34 morning class is held on Thursday mornings from 10 am – 1 pm EST for 12 classes. See dates below.

Photography Atelier is a portfolio and project building course for emerging to advanced photographers taught by Molly Lamb. Participants engage in supportive critical discussions of each other’s work and leave with a better understanding of the fine art industry and with an ability to edit, talk about and sequence their own work.

The Atelier was conceived by Holly Smith Pedlosky. The first Photography Atelier took place in 2001. Karen Davis taught the Atelier for 7 years. Meg Birnbaum has taught the Atelier for the past five years. The workshop was previously offered at Radcliffe Seminars, Harvard University and Lesley Seminars and in the Seminar Series in the Arts, The Art Institute of Boston (AIB), both at Lesley University.

Instruction in the Atelier includes visual presentations based around 4 class assignments which are designed to encourage experimentation in both subject matter and approach. The remainder of the course allows for students to work on a personal project that culminates in an exhibition at the museum. Students learn the basics of how to approach industry professionals to show their work and how to prepare for a national or regional portfolio review. There is discussion of marketing materials, do-it-yourself websites, DIY book publishing and the importance of social media. Students learn the critical art of writing an artist’s statement and bio.

Any method or medium of image making is welcome although digital photography is recommended for the first half of the class when work is assigned each week. The class culminates in an exhibition at the end of the class.

The Griffin Museum of Photography honors Holly Smith Pedlosky each time we offer what we consider an important educational experience. Holly died in 2012 entrusting the class to Karen Davis and then to Meg Birnbaum. Miriam Goodman another integral part of the Atelier passed away in 2008. These women made a tremendous impact on the lives of the “Ateliesti” (students of the Photography Atelier).

The Atelier 34 morning session is held on Thursday mornings (online) from 10 am – 1 pm EST on the following dates (12 three hour sessions):

1. March 4

2. March 11

3. March 18

4. March 25

BREAK: April 1

5. April 8

6. April 15

BREAK: April 22

7. April 29

8. May 6

9. May 13

10. May 20

11. May 27

BREAK: June 3

12. June 10

Price: Griffin Members: $595, Non-members $645.

Molly Lamb

Molly Lamb holds an MFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a BA in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Her work has been exhibited nationally, most recently at Rick Wester Find Art, the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Danforth Art Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and the Center for Fine Art Photography.

In 2016 she was named a Critical Mass Top 50 recipient. In 2015 she was named a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Photography, one of Photo District News’ 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch, and one of LensCulture’s 50 Emerging Talents. Her work has been featured in Photograph, Musee Magazine, Oxford American, Harpers’ Magazine, Aint-Bad Magazine, Fraction Magazine, and Lenscratch, among others. In addition to now teaching the Photography Atelier at the Griffin Museum of Photography, she also teaches photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She is represented by Rick Wester, Fine Art, New York.

Atelier 32 | Shelby Meyerhoff

Posted on September 25, 2020

We close out our Atelier 32 artist series with Shelby Meyerhoff. Shelby’s series Paper Playroom is her newest work created during the pandemic, and now on the walls during the Griffin’s Atelier 32 exhibition. We are thrilled to have Shelby as a member of our Griffin artist community showcasing her work here at the Atelier. We are also pleased to announce her upcoming exhibition in October at our satellite venue, Griffin @ WinCam. Her Zoomorphics exhibition will open on September 28th and run through November 5th, 2020. We talked to this prolific multidisciplinary artist about Paper Playroom and how the Atelier is an incubator for creativity.

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

When the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Boston, I started taking care of my toddler daughter Moxie for much of the workday. Before COVID, my artistic practice had been to paint intricate designs on my own face and body, and then photograph myself. The whole process required hours of uninterrupted time. It had been my plan to do a new face and body painting series over the course of the spring Atelier. But with Moxie by my side, I knew I’d need to find a different way of making art.

One afternoon, we painted with washable paints and cheap printer paper, which crumpled as it dried. Looking at the peaks and valleys, illuminated by the sunlight streaming into the playroom, I was inspired to create sculptures out of ordinary paper products.

I took this photograph, “A Song to the Wind,” early in the semester. I was struck by the liveliness of this image, and the way the paper bag looked almost like a classical sculptural medium. Seeing this piqued my curiosity about the possibilities of paper.

Over the weeks that followed, I experimented with other ways of photographing the sculptures I was making. In particular, I tried backgrounds with loud patterns and bold colors, which were speaking to me at the time, but didn’t ultimately work well for this series.

Towards the end of the program, I circled back to the approach shown in “A Song to the Wind,” limiting the backgrounds for the series to blacks and greys. With fewer competing elements, the emphasis of the images was on light and form. It was a simple and elegant approach, but sometimes those can be the most daunting to undertake. I don’t think I would have arrived there without the encouragement of our instructor Meg Birnbaum and our Atelier group, who gave thoughtful feedback on every iteration of this project.

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

The Atelier was the perfect space to experiment with different ideas for how the project could go. Meg gave excellent feedback at every step in the process – not only during the regular class meetings, but also throughout the summer as further questions arose.

I was also blown away by the talent and experience of my classmates. Seeing their weekly submissions made me want to bring my very best work to class. And every week they were able to identify what was working well in my photographs and where I needed to improve, always in the spirit of helping me make the series stronger.

I felt safe bringing experimental work to class, but at the same time, I moved faster towards a completed series than I would have expected, because of the quality of our weekly conversations.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

I’m looking forward to finding out! One of the strengths of the Atelier program is that it takes students all the way through the lifecycle of a project: trying out various possibilities, honing the work into a series and developing the series further, and then producing, marketing, and showing the work. Now that our show is up, I’m excited to begin experimenting again this fall.

I’ll start by picking up paper again, folding and twisting, and seeing where that leads. I’m also interested in doing more painting. And I’m curious if I can find a successful way to combine painting, sculpture, and photography in a new body of work.

At the same time, this fall also marks the culmination of my series of photographs created through face and body painting. The solo show for my Zoomorphics series is opening at the Griffin’s WinCAM gallery on September 28. I am thrilled about the opportunity to show and discuss that work, and it will be all the more fun to do so while in the midst of creating something new.

Join us on October 1st at 7pm Eastern for an engaging conversation with Shelby about creativity and Zoomorphics.

About Shelby Meyerhoff –

Shelby Meyerhoff is a multidisciplinary artist based in the Boston area. She works with a variety of media, including photography, painting, sculpture, and body art, often combining multiple techniques to create her images. Meyerhoff’s work has been exhibited at venues across the country, including the Griffin Museum of Photography (MA), the Mosesian Center for the Arts (MA), the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (GA), and the LH Horton Jr. Gallery at San Joaquin Delta College (CA). Her Zoomorphics series has also been featured in UU World, the national magazine of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

She has studied visual arts at the Griffin Museum of Photography, the New England School of Photography, and MassArt. Before becoming a fine artist, Meyerhoff worked in nonprofit communications, promoting environmental initiatives.

To see more of Shelby Meyerhoff‘s work, log onto her website. Find her on Instagram at @shelbymeyerhoff

Atelier 32 | Simone Brogini

Posted on September 24, 2020

In today’s highlight of our Atelier 32 exhibition, we look at the work of Simone Brogini, featured here and tonight in our Artist Talk in conversation with Miren Etcheverry and Conrad Gees. Join us for a discussion about creativity in a pandemic, learning online, and the creativity that can come from life under a new normal. In order for us to learn more about Simone’s creativity, we asked him a few questions.

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

As the pandemic kept us all home, I was looking at my empty street with no activity from us or our neighbors. I wanted to capture this emptiness and I started to photograph the homes around us. At first I just took images from my camera showing the surrounding neighborhood. Then, as we were living in isolation it was almost like being in a bubble, so I started to experiment taking the same kind of images through an empty glass. I was intrigued by the results and liked the rounded vision that represents the new world seen from within this imaginary bubble. From then I started to represents in the same way our life as a family living in this imaginary bubble, so I introduced moment of our life from inside our home such as smart working, remote school learning, moment of fun, and fear to get out even wearing a mask.

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

We are living in this weird moment of our life with a worldwide pandemic which changed our reality. This imaginary bubble wants to represent the emptiness and the silence we have been living in for so long. No noise on the street, no cars, no children screaming, parks were empty. The images want to represent this but also passing from the fear of getting out of the house wearing masks, to the hope of being able to get back to our normal life soon. This hope is represented from the images showing some color of nature and looking at blossoming flowers.

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

I have been taking images for a long time but probably have never seen them from a fine art point of view. This happened through the classes and the feedbacks I received from Meg and my other colleagues who pushed me to step out from my comfort zone and experiment with something different. In fact, my first attempt to a project was to photograph the emptiness of our cities with B&W images. I really liked those images, but I received comments of being a theme already seen. From then I started to work with a new mindset using some ideas I had through the class assignment, which was the abstract theme when I started to shoot through a glass. It was a complete change, but pointed me into the right direction.

Tell us what is next for you creatively.

For my next step, I am certainly using what I have learned with the Atelier, which is to identify a project and stick with it. I don’t know yet what this next project will be for me, have few ideas but are not yet defined. For sure I will retrying from taking random images not linked to a defined project or not linked into any type of stories I would like to tell. The Atelier had surely taught me how to see through my camera in a different way.

You can see more of Simone Brogini‘s work on his website. Find him on Instagram at @simonebrogini

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 | 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

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