Let's Talk About Art: Environmental portraits in black and white
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"Jenn on Negley" by Ivette Spradlin is part of a solo photo exhibit, "Everything Changed, Then Changed Again," at Filmmakers Galleries in North Oakland.
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Photographer Ivette Spradlin grew up in Florida and Georgia. When she moved to Pittsburgh a few years ago, she was not prepared for the long gray winters and the isolation they impose.
She decided to get out her camera.
The result is a solo photo exhibit, "Everything Changed, Then Changed Again" on view at Filmmakers Galleries in North Oakland through April 1.
"I started this project in the midst of my second winter here," she says. She was homesick and needed to "connect with people and build friendships." Ms. Spradlin also thought a midwinter photo shoot was a good opportunity to learn about Pittsburgh's complex landscapes. She asked each of her subjects to choose a location for a portrait.
The exhibit is a series of 14 large-scale, digitally printed images scanned from black and white film. Two are strictly landscapes, and 12 are "environmental portraits" of women placed within the landscape. The informal titles tell the women's first names and their special locale, such as: "Jenn on Negley" or "Heather in Manchester." Ms. Spradlin uses the theme of urban transformation and renewal as a backdrop for the portraits, she says, because it reflects her own transition to Pittsburgh.
On one of those chilly Pittsburgh days, Ms. Spradlin decided to join Lea Donatelli and her dog, Jones, on their walk through Lawrenceville. When Ms. Donatelli learned about the project she was "more than happy" to be involved in it with her new friend.
Together they looked for industrial sites and took inspiration from the remnants of old steel mills and new construction. "I just sold my house and was about to embark on a road trip across the country," Ms. Donatelli explained. "Ivette allowed me an amazing opportunity to mark this point in my life." Fittingly, her portrait is called "Lea and Jones by the Allegheny River in Lawrenceville."
A video installation accompanies this exhibit (which is free) that serves as "a kind of moving contact sheet" of the locations photographed for this series. Visit Ms. Spradlin's website at: www.ivettespradlin.com.
First Published February 7, 2012 12:00 am
