Artist Statement
I am a full time photo artist working in Melbourne, Australia.

The background of my art is my imagination at play, which aims to engage the viewer and evoke an emotion, psychological or intellectual qualities.

The images are elaborately staged theatrical productions. My work is primarily concerned with depicting an untouchable reality with elements of magic realism with the images being as much about absence or what is unspoken as they are about what is depicted.

they are playful at a glance with a sense of magic realism, yet have deeper layers that unfold in the viewers own imagination, captured on film, resulting in rich colour with elaborate detail.

With my creative process I pride myself on producing everything in front of the camera. For example with the image Secret garden (from the Vintage Dolls Series) which has a tree sprouting through the floor, I literally cut a hole through the floor of the house and placed a living tree in the lounge room. I feel this gives my images a sense of realism that adds to the fantasy and draws the viewer into their imagination. I like an image to leave the viewer with questions. Process Statement
The process in which I create my photographic body of work can take 18 months to two years from beginning to end. It is the finer detail that makes or breaks an image, and I spend numerous hours perfecting this. I plan my compositions using scrapbooks of drawings and collages to construct a mood and a balanced visual theme, I spend time experimenting with colours. I then set about creating my theatrical set where I can play out my imagination. I sometimes adapt old or derelict housed to become my stage or design the locations in a studio setting. I spend many months searching for all of my props and magical pieces by rummaging through second hand shops sourcing them or making them. The final result of all this planning is the spontaneity of the day, having spent months on the preparation so that the photo shoot is a creative environment of play where I can capture that unique moment. The outcome is fine-art photography that has theatrical qualities with elements of a cinematic movie still.

 

 

Samantha grew up in a small outback town Emerald, in central Queensland Australia and currently resides in Melbourne. Samantha’s art work has been extensively exhibited throughout Australia and internationally. Her works are held in both private and public collections and have been published in numerous magazines including the New Yorker. Samantha is the recipient of a number of art prizes; Australian Leica Photographer of the year, MacGregor Prize for Photography, Px3 Paris International Photography Awards, 1st and 3rd place winner 2010 and highly commended in the prestigious Moran Contemporary Art Prize.

“My photographic art is primarily concerned with depicting an untouchable reality with elements of magic realism, I put together images that show quiet, introspective and unconscious moments of life and our relationships with others; creation of an image is an imaginative process in which I try to give a physical texture to fleeting or unarticulated feelings”.


Samantha is represented by

QLD www.antheapolsonart.com.au

VIC www.helengory.com

NSW www.arthousegallery.com.au


www.samanthaeverton.com