Example Artist Statement: Mrs. Licata
Photography brings out a passion in me for exploring the minute, often unnoticed, details of my world. Whether I am documenting the lives of my growing children, or taking notice of some mysterious intricacy I have walked past hundreds of times, I am enamored with the process of deciding how to frame these images in my camera.
My vision for these photographs was graphic, high contrast shapes. Triangles, rectangles, squares, and arches filled my brain. I saw them everywhere I went - at work, at home, driving down the street. I sought to remove them from their environment and simplify the compositions by enhancing the negative space. It was important to me that the context not be extremely obvious. I did not want famous, recognizable buildings because I want the viewer to focus solely on the formal elements.
All the images share the same viewpoint looking up at the subject. The sky accidentally became a unifying element, unintentionally showing up in each photo in the series. I chose to print in monochrome because the elimination of color forces the viewer to concentrate on the essential elements; shape, light, form and texture. The subjects I chose to photograph were mundane buildings, houses in my neighborhood, and unassuming structures. Ultimately the subject is less important than how it is depicted.
I hope my images provide my viewers with a strong sense of impact. I want the bold shapes to pop against the background, leaving the viewer with the memory of striking geometric shapes that they see long after they have seen my photos.