Artist as a Mentor

 

Clarence John Laughlin, Water Witch. 

Silver Gelatin Print, 1939.

Clarence John Laughlin, Self-Crucified.

Silver Gelatin Print, 1981.

Clarence John Laughlin, The Magnificent Spiral. 

Silver Gelatin Print, 1939.

Clarence John Laughlin, A Poem of Imprinted Lace.

1973.

Clarence John Laughlin, House of the Past.

Composite printing, 1947.

Clarence John Laughlin, The Improbable Dome.

Silver Gelatin Print, 1965.

Aberdeen South Dakota. 2023.

Aberdeen South Dakota. 2023.

Spafford Hall Stairway, Aberdeen South Dakota. 2023.

Aberdeen South Dakota. 2023.

Artist Statement

When an artist speaks of influences, it can be hard to know exactly what they are talking about. An artist can be influenced by many different things, places, people, ideas, etc. in so many ways. So, when I say that Clarence John Laughlin influenced me, it takes a bit more explaining. For instance, Laughlin was a self-taught photographer who is mostly known for his surrealist images of the American South. His body of work is filled with many portraits, as well as a lot of architecture. Now I am more comfortable with photographing landscapes, nature, and architecture. I also am not surrounded by the large plantation estates that he had access to in the South, so I was unable to imitate his landscapes. Therefore, I was presented with the opportunity to become more comfortable with portraits. I think that I struggle with portraits so much because I cannot always convey what I am thinking and the vision in my head to others. I also have not really figured out how to photograph people in various lighting and settings to maximize their features in the way they desire. Nature doesn’t require much from me to show its beauty. My journey with Clarence transitioned into portraits, where he uses a lot of lace and veils to play with lighting and his subjects. I wanted to recreate his images to try and better understand his process, which was difficult as I don’t know his process and did not have access to the same things he did. Even though this was challenging, I did find it enjoyable and educational to work with the fabrics, the reflective surfaces, and the lights to get creative in how to replicate. He influenced my process, my subjects, and my ideas about surrealistic photography.