Here let me prove it...
Enjoy complementary wine and hors d'oeuvres at chashama gallery as they present Illusion, photography series by Julia Forrest.
chashama gallery
30 W 8th Street
New York, NY 10011
Show is open April 20th-May 8th
Reception: Saturday, April 24th
6-9pm
Artists Website:
http://www.JuliaForrest.com
Artist Statement:
A woman presents herself within the landscape. She turns a mirror towards the viewer, creating her own representation. She interacts with the landscape she wanders in, blending into the background, changing with scale, or holding a part of the landscape itself. The whole image becomes a pictorial illusion and as the photographer, I am in complete control of the composition.
In reference to greek mythological stories of goddesses, these women look gentle and fragile, yet posses a strong power. Without seeing their faces the identity becomes unimportant, the focus being on their performance. The variety of mirrors I use help them blend into their surroundings, the mirror serving as an illusion to show off their power by changing the landscape at will.
Using a medium format film camera and no digital manipulation, I create an illusion within the lens. I am inspired by Pictoralist photographers and how they create a purely photographic reality in their images. Early 20th century photographer Anne Brigman seamlessly meets the human figure with a surreal landscape. Her figures have the same powerful presence that I strive to create in my photographs. Shooting in black and white, I make a historical reference to this period. I use Infrared film to emphasize the grain and to create a more surreal and distant reality. I challenge the notion of the landscape by referencing what makes a photograph: the women use their mirror to re-frame what I have framed and capture in their mirror like a camera captures in the lens.
About the artist:
Julia Forrest is a Brooklyn based artist with a recent BFA in fine art photography. She works completely in film and prints all images within a darkroom built in her tiny apartment. Her own artwork has always been top priority in her life and in this digital world, she continues to remain with old processing. Anything can simply be done in photoshop, she prefer to take the camera, a tool of showing reality, and experiment with what can be done within it. She create surreal environments, tricking the camera into what it sees.
