Life In Other Words @canadianholly - Tumblr Blog

Bea Nettles, residing in Gainesville Florida, has been producing autobiographical works since 1970. Since then, she has released and exhibited over 51 works. They have been shown in the International Museum of Photography at the Eastman House, the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Light Gallery and Witkin Gallery in NYC. Her images can be found around the world, including many universities such as Yale and Washington.

She has taught photography and artists’ books from 1970-2007 at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Tyler School of Art, and the University of Illinois. She is currently still teaching at ISU.

I recently visited the Illinois State library, Milner, to view some of her works. Her style of photography is eerie, dark and intriguing. I was instantly drawn to her works due to my love for irregular images. One particular photo book I was drawn to is titled The Observer. It’s ten spiral bound duotone pages each encrypt a different story. The book is a timeline of Bea’s life, showing her face throughout her life. The eyes are cut out to show the young eyes in the older face and then the older eyes in the younger face.These images tell a story about her life and show how people age. Near the end of the book, the woman appears older and more solemn. This tells a story of hardship and loss of innocence. A human’s face changes due to elements but also emotional trauma. The Observer captures this effortlessly in a timeline of the photographer’s life.

Exploring the New

Photographs are received through a number of ways in the 21st Century. Primarily we view these images on the Internet through media platforms such as: Instagram, Facebook, and even this very site, Tumblr. Thousands of photos are uploaded to different websites every second. Being able to be viewed on phones, computers, and tablets.

I even view most of my images on an app called Instagram. I follow and view such photographers or "I strangers" as Bethany Toews, Borgo Della Merluzza, and Bradley Castañeda. One theme they all have in common: they're each on my favorite app, Instagram. They all have their own websites, but it's easier for the consumer to view pictures over one large media platform. Most people always have their phones in an arms reach away, thus making media apps the most accessible way to view images.

Going out of my comfort zone I decided to explore the world of photography. Out of pure curiosity I decided to research famous photographers for National. Geographic and came across Lynsey Addario. Lynsey was born in Norwalk Connecticut on November 13th, 1973. She had an eye for the camera at a very young age, and continued on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995 with her degree in photography. She worked under the Buenos Aires Herold for a number of years before she decided to become a freelance photographer and express her interests through photography.

In 2000 Addario decided to travel to Afghanistan to study the Afghan people under the oppression of the Taliban. Leading up to her capture by the Libyan army she has covered controversial topics in both Africa and the Middle East. From March 16–21, 2011she was imprisoned by the Libyan army with four of her coworkers. She was finally released on March 21st 2011. This incident has not stopped her passion for exploring the world’s controversial side. She still to this day she uses to talent to educate the world.

Some of my favorite photos of her’s were her first works in Afghanistan. Vieled Rebellion, an image capturing two Afghan women, helps one to see into the world of women in the Middle East. Her album titled Afghanistan is breathtaking. It creates a window into the world of the Middle East, showing us what life was like under the rule of the Taliban. These images depict people, from young children to grown men.

Exploring the world of photography through unusual ways has helped me to discover some amazing artists. Sometimes it’s best to go out of your comfort zone and look for new images and art. This is a concept I’m just learning, but am grateful for.