Nuturing Artists

“Nurturing Artists” was conceived as a collaborative series.

I created a series of photogram portraits of fellow artists by capturing shadows of their body language, tools and work.

It turns out that many artists (including photographers) are solitary beings. So, working together was a new experience. Each session was great fun, and a competitive streak emmerged with many of my colleagues trying to outdo each other.

Goldsmith Lia Ställen with her portrait

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Goldsmith Lia Stählin designed a portrait which represents the two sides to her personality. Part of the image shows the tools of her trade. These represent discipline and precision. This is contrasted against her creative side, represented as the girl who wants to break free.

Each image in the Nuturing Artists series is captured on a sheet of cotton. These had to be washed six times to remove the manufacturing bleaches. Then they were treated with light sensitive cyanotype chemistry.

Nurturing artists pays homage to Anna Atkins work capturing plants and flowers in her parent’s garden in 1842. Just as a gardener tends to garden of flowers and beautiful plants, arts foundations nurture and oversee the growth of artists.