As I entered the darkness of the room that guest artist lecturer, Angela Strassheim, was halfway through giving, I wasn’t aware what style of images I was about to see. As I sat down in the last row, I looked up to see a color photograph, that I immediately assumed was done digitally, of a distressed mother in a car with her husband and three young boys. As she talked about the depth and meaning that this one singular photo had and its representation of the hardships that she has faced in previous relationships and a connection to her now currently being a mother, in just a few minutes, it was incredibly emphasized what a true artist was speaking in front of me.
Angela Strassheim was born in Bloomfield, Iowa. She currently lives in Connecticut and works in New York and Israel. Her college education in art began at the Minneapolis College of Art in Design. She then went on to receive a Forensic and Biomedical Photography certification from the Forensic Imaging Bureau in Miami, Florida. Strassheim finished up her higher education in the arts at Yale University and received an MFA in photography, after originally coming in with a focus in sculpture.
With a concrete background in not only the photographic arts, but also the experience of crime scene photography, Strassheim is truly a photographer like no other. As she talked about each photo the passion behind each image proves that she is a dedicated, hardworking, and precise photographer. A few minutes into the section of the lecture I was able to hear, Strassheim showed a self-portrait of herself. However, the image that was taken in front of mirror displayed Strassheim’s use of a four by five camera. This is where the connection to her color work took hold. Continuing to talk about so many distinct pieces within her vast portfolio, it became clear not only the skill required to use such a large format camera but also, Strassheim, as she progressed in showing more and more of her images, she would go into detail about positioning, lighting, choosing models, and even going so far as to recreate pre-existing images. These talents and dedication that Strassheim exhibits, to me, is what makes a truly talented and invested photographer.
As she continued with her lecture, Angela Strassheim made note that she wouldn’t have gotten to where she is now and have to ability to continue with her contemporary and progressive method of photography if it wasn’t for applying and receiving so many grants. She lists on her website and mentioned that she has been on the receiving end of the Lightside Individual Project Grant, the Bush Foundation Artist Fellowship, and the Artist Initiative Grant. I think this is crucial for working artists to know about. By applying and receiving these grants, Strassheim was able to prove and prove again that her work needs to be seen and made, and these grants will most certainly allow that to happen.
Controversy as an artist is incredibly hard to escape. However, once one of your pieces is being scrutinized and subject to higher objection from the people and the government, you know you have done something remarkable that only a pure artist can do, you are making the viewer think. By making the viewer think, that means that this one singular piece evoked so much feeling, translation and meaning that the viewer has truly become invested in the piece, which I personally believe to be every artists goal. Strassheim’s lecture peaked when she began to discuss a photo of hers that was recently being displayed as an exhibition in MOCA Jacksonville. This photo was discussed in the article from the Huffington Post. The article is titled, “City Councilmen Deemed This Nude Pregnant Portrait 'Pornography,” written by Priscilla Frank from December. Strassheim’s simple, elegant photo of nude, pregnant women was considered to be pornography. The article expresses that by labeling this beautiful photographic art work as pornography, the world of art censorship is still overly abundant. The definition of art is being subjected with the designation of this piece as pornography and with this article and the prominence of the idea of a controversial piece within Strassheim’s collection, completely emphasizes that her work is crucial to viewing the human through all their apexes.
I am so happy that I didn’t view Angela’s work before sitting down and listening to her speak at this lecture. With every word she used to describe each one of her photographs, it gave the work its value. Learning about using her family as her subjects and the ties that her family has in the influence of her work, especially with her pieces from Israel that truly come from her husband and new found religious faith in Judaism, I felt more connected to each piece. With each well-constructed image, the color that comes from the four by five traditional photographic creates a feeling of connection and tradition, which after learning about the truths behind each piece, the feeling is genuine. I find this incredible. To successfully convey ones ideas, intent, and feelings within each photographic image of artistic expression, truly depicts an amazing artists that knows exactly what to compose to illicit and awaken that specific and distinct emotion, sentiment, and feeling.
5
ReplyDelete