Engage with new and returning artists before visiting the Cathedral Square venue to see their amazing array of work. Learn about the artists’ personal stories and creative ambitions through five enticing art-related questions.
This week: Jessica Z. Schafer
Jessica Z Schafer, cinephile: trio, 2014, digital photography, 1 x 36 x 11 inches
Jessica arranges triptych installations to mimic the process of developing memories about our relationship to the rhythms of landscapes that shape our lives. Inspired by a lifelong interest in the design of classical films, the images she chooses to display summarize complex narratives within a few stills. Her 2014 entry, “cinephile: trio”, recalls the frames of a filmstrip reworked into a panoramic landscape as a response to the significant rhythms and cohesive patterns of nature.
What is your background?
My serious interest in photography began in high school with a darkroom class. While I majored in History and French language during college, I continued learning as much as possible about photography. Life took its own twists and turns, and I left the aesthetic pursuit of making images for a number of years. More than a decade ago, I landed in an incredible job with a contemporary art museum. Inspired by my position there, as well my work for a local film festival, my enthusiasm for photography and art reignited. For these last 11 years, I have worked behind, in front of, next to, and beyond the camera. My work has been featured in solo shows, highlighted in a number of juried exhibitions and invitational shows, and included in ArtPrize 2011 and 2013. I also express my enthusiasm for the field as an independent curator, arts writer, and community arts advocate in Southeastern Wisconsin.
What themes do you pursue?
The distinct drama injected into a scene by light and shadow––as well as the impact of careful composition––informs all of my images. These factors embody the mood and atmosphere inherent to a scene at a particular moment. It is my intent that each photograph is not just a landscape or cityscape, but instead offers a glimpse into a familiar set of memories about recognizable places.
What got you interested in art?
I thank my family for initiating my passion for art. My grandmother brought me to art museums and historical sites as often as possible when I was a child. Each artwork or artifact told a story. Sometimes, she and I would act out the histories together––pretending that we were inside a particular painting or living in another time and place. My grandmother was creative throughout her lifetime. Her guidance and example established my interest in art. My mother continued that tradition, and I hope to one day be as creative as she is every day of her life.
What is your favorite or most inspirational place?
All of my photography is about “place.” I find both familiar and new locations inspire my work, allowing me to tell a story about a moment. Walking through cities, towns, and natural areas is always the first step in my creative process. I do a whole lot of walking and careful looking. As I move through these spaces, I begin to see pleasing forms, patterns, and repetitions. From these elements, I make photographs intended to capture emotion and meaning about the scenes depicted. For these reasons, any place I photograph may become my favorite for a period of time.
What memorable responses have you received for your work?
Any time that a viewer tells me that my images remind them of a treasured memory, I am delighted, since that is my dearest goal in making photographs.
Discover more about Jessica Z Schafer’s work: http://jessicaz.yolasite.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment