Photography and Collage
website: www.silhouetteimages.com
Artist Statement:
Photography is in my blood. My great grandfather, Henry Austin, was a portrait photographer in the early 1900's, and today I run a successful portrait photography studio in my home in Glenville. As well as being my main source of income, photography is my passion. I love taking photographs and manipulating them in various ways including emulsion transfers, Polaroid manipulations, hand colored black & whites, and computer-generated images. there is just something so special about "capturing a moment" and preserving it on paper for years to come.
Recently
my love of old books has become one of my new creative directions. I
have in my possession a very old book of my great grandmother’s
with a hidden compartment inside; it has fascinated me for nearly my
whole life. I am now creatively altering books, using my photography
and other decorative items.
I
am also a collage artist, preserving heirlooms, history and mementoes
in shadow boxes or cigar boxes. I love the depth and dimensions of a
shadow box, the small world contained inside that tells a story. I
especially enjoy the construction of these works; they can be
technically challenging to build and design.
I love creating a photograph or shadow box that is aesthetically pleasing yet creates some tension, a work that invites the viewer to want to learn more. Sometimes my studio photography becomes just what it is: a job. My creative photography, books, and shadowboxes are never like work; they are a necessity. They are my passion.