Waiting in the Lion's Mane.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

One on One With Kelli Connell

Reverie © Kelli Connell

Reflection © Kelli Connell

To see more of Kelli's work: kelliconnell.com

At MIAD today the junior level photo majors were offered an opportunity to have a one on one photo critique with Kelli Connell, a Chicago based photographer whose work has been shown nationally in many solo and group exhibitions. She also teaches at Columbia College in Chicago.

Our talk went really well, and she shared some really helpful insights with me. She pointed out my strengths as well as my weaknesses within my body of work and how to remedy those weaker photographs. She inspired a lot of new ideas and ways to re-shoot the weaker images to strengthen them. To anyone at Columbia: you're lucky to have her around.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Keep on keeping on.

Current progress of the work I started in November accompanied with my current draft of the artist's statement.

My work explores the transitory stages of sexuality, the shedding of adolescent innocence, and the development of romantic relationships through the female perspective. These ideas are communicated through the use of metaphor and of objects that hold classic symbolism. The work explores this perspective in a way that is bittersweet and honest, not like the cinematic, sugar coated ideals promoted to the youth.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Keys

"Symbols abound in our modern world
everyday objects that one often sees.
But few things have such layers of meaning
as a simple ring with a pair of keys.

What do they open, what barriers destroy?
what engines do they bid to wake?
what object have they for so long protected,
that someone would otherwise take?

Or perhaps they exist purely in concept,
The abandoned keys to a persons heart
And should they unlock that long-hidden treasure
That someone would have a new start."
Credit: http://mumbayaya.deviantart.com/