Artist Statement
The simple beauty of watching the transformation from seed to a magnificent flower or a life amazes me. Plants are essential for life and I find it alarming that man constantly endeavors to reinvent nature; I am concerned about the disposable, synthetic planet we have become. It is my intent that viewers see beyond the simplicity of these organic portraits, and the cycle of life they embody. As Steichen said: “Once you really commence to see things, then you really commence to feel things.”
Process Statement
I photograph my subjects in a daylight studio against backdrops I have painted, using large format cameras to retain tremendous detail, allowing the viewer to discover things in large-scale prints they may not be aware of. I digitize my original B&W negatives, manipulating them as I would in a darkroom. Digitally printed on 100% cotton rag paper with carbon pigments gives a full-tone print reminiscent of the platinum-palladium print process.
Sondra Wampler has explored the medium of photography for the past 30 years, experimenting with many genres. Since 1995 she has focused on botanicals as her subject, giving the viewer new insight into simple, often overlooked specimens. By taking her subjects out of their ordinary context and putting them into the setting of a portrait painter’s studio, Wampler wants you the viewer to contemplate the image and share her emotive response to her subject. The absence of color reveals a strong sculptural form where light and shadow enhance the abstract and dramatic quality of her work. By using large format film cameras Sondra captures the greatest detail and clarity possible.
In 2004 Sondra began experimenting with multiple image montage, resulting in her most recent body of conceptual imagery. This new series is born from study and experimentation with post-modern concepts and practices and is personal as it addresses themes that originate with the artist. This work also relates to her botanicals as it addresses nature with all its complexities of form, texture and environment.
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