Aline Smithson

ARRANGEMENT IN GREEN AND BLACK: PORTRAIT OF THE PHOTOGRAPER’S MOTHER


This series had serendipitous beginnings. I found a small print of Whistler’s painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter’s Mother, at a neighborhood garage sale. The same weekend, I found a leopard coat and hat, a 1950’s cat painting, and what looked like the exact chair from Whistler painting. That started me thinking about the idea of portraiture, the strong compositional relationships going on within Whistler’s painting, and the evocative nature of unassuming details.

The series incorporates traditional photography techniques, yet becomes richer with the treatment of hand painting.

It is my intent to have the viewer see the work in a historical context with the addition of color, and at the same time, experience Whistler’s simple, yet brilliant formula for the painting.

My patient 85-year-old mother posed in over 20 ensembles, but unfortuately passed away before seeing the finished series. I am grateful for her sense of humor and the time this series allowed us to be together.

VINTAGE MODERN:

Years ago, a friend’s grandmother told me about her life as a young American woman working in China. I created my own visual memories of her exotic history, recreating a life she might have led sometime in the 1920’s.

PEOPLE I DON’T KNOW

I continue to be fascinated with found photographs. For 25 years, I have collected photographs found on the ground. Recently I have been drawn to more formal portraits culled from dusty cardboard boxes in thrift stores or ratty suitcases at flea markets. There in an innate sadness connected to these photographs. Who are they? What are their stories? How did these photographs end up unloved, not with their families, discarded? I wanted the images to be seen again, to be considered and appreciated. In order to infuse life into the images, I asked people of the same gender and approximate age to hold a photograph, leaving room for the viewer to connect the living to those who have passed on. I feel a quiet satisfaction that these portraits get to be part of the world again, to be held again, recognized with love and dignity.This series was shot with a 55 year old twin lens Rolleiflex, printed on Ilford warmtone paper and toned with sepia. It is a series of 20 images.

www.alinesmithson.com

太漂亮啦

好
辛苦啦

弓虽！

super zan

呵呵呵
我又想起了憨豆先生

好贴，敬业。女干。。。。

祖国新貌  在 1-18-2005 22:13 发表:

好贴，敬业。女干。。。。

女干?

我回来了！
顶一下好帖先。

稀饭！

惠斯勒 怎能瞑目

好久没有过的感动了！
真的好漂亮

特别喜欢前面的那个老太太的系列
我正在听着oasis－live　forever
就感觉人生命短　但那老太太却好象老顽童一样
人生．．．　不是我这种黄毛说的事　　　呵呵

－－evan借id

弓虽！
我也觉得

看着你燃烧  在 1-19-2005 07:11 PM 发表:

好久没有过的感动了！
真的好漂亮

特别喜欢前面的那个老太太的系列
我正在听着oasis－live　forever
就感觉人生命短　但那老太太却好象老顽童一样
人生．．．　不是我这种黄毛说的事　　　呵呵

－－eva ...

oasis

第一套圖片
讓我想起以前電視臺放的一個連續劇 名字叫做《神奇老太太》

真喜欢。