The work began when the sisters were 6, 7 and 8. The eldest is now fourteen. In the beginning, the girls were asked not to smile. That is the only direction they have ever been given.
The series began as an exploration into the game of dress-up as a performance of womanhood. As the girls have matured, this construct has gradually fallen away, and fashion imagery has begun to seep into their consciousness. Which is also is a performance, but this time for the camera. The girls now are straddling two worlds. That of girlhood- of freedom, frenetic energy and naturalism- and that of womanhood- expectation, sensuality, self-consciousness.
In response to the their transition, my own transition in the photography work has occurred. When they were younger, I worked in 35 mm, silver gelatin printing, and color digital work with no editing or correction. Now I am working within Photoshop to create a specific look, pushing the tonal range into striking black and whites which not only accent the push and pull of their particular stage in life but also to suggest Victorian portraiture, cinematic drama and mid-century fashion photography.
But these are merely suggestions. My most prevalent point of departure comes from Romantic Symbolist art and literature which explores themes of mysticism, the macabre, nature, and beauty.
Impetus-idyll is a collection of other on-going experiments.
Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments.
clarerickman@gmail.com
