Artist Statement
Throughout my career my work has explored the female figure, family narratives and contemporary issues of being a woman. My intent is to create works of art that are approachable in form and content and are interactive, yet fragile.
I use photographs to transform found objects into pieces of art. Fusing transparent figurative and family portraits with books, boxes and tins, I create a playful tension between imagery and object. My work breathes new life into these objects, yet they leave hints of the past in their lovingly worn appearances.
These works depart from the formality of a frame as they are arranged on a table top or a shelf, often placed side by side to reveal the complexities of the feminine allure while drawing on memories and visual formality.
Process Statement
I have had a lot of physical pain and have for many years. In my continual search for an answer, as well as my way of dealing with the unexplained, I dissect my Gray’s Anatomy book. The pages find their way into Specimens, layered under images of those closest to me. The illustrations bind, clothe and wrap the body. Putting the inside on the outside, I wear my heart on my sleeve. Reminiscent of nineteenth century cased images; Specimens are housed in small hinged tins that open and close to reveal or conceal the secrets they hold.
Heidi Kirkpatrick, an established fine art photographer and educator based in Portland Oregon has exhibited widely over the last fifteen years. Kirkpatrick offers interpretations of the world experienced from a women’s perspective, often using subjects with whom she has a personal relationship. Kirkpatrick pairs photographs with found objects—children’s blocks, boxes, books and even old ash trays to create renewed objects of art. By incorporating figurative images and family portraits, Kirkpatrick “reframes” these stories, allowing for ever changing vignettes. Kirkpatrick develops her own images, including silver gelatin printing, alternative processes, photographs using a Holga toy camera, transparent images on film and 3-D mixed media objects. Kirkpatrick’s work is included in numerous private and public collections including The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas, Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, Ohio, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Indie Photobook Library in Washington DC. In addition to being an experienced mid-career artist, Kirkpatrick joined The Northwest Academy, in 2004, to teach black and white photography at the high school level. Kirkpatrick is currently represented by the G. Gibson Gallery in Seattle, Washington, Panopticon Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts, Dina Mitrani Gallery, Miami, Florida, and Wall Space Gallery in Santa Barbara, California.
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