Gail Samuelson
What are your earliest memories of being artistic? It was when I took a Black and White photography class at Mass College of Art back in the days when Massart was on Brookline Ave. I loved exploring the North End with a small black and white film camera. Street photography was all the rage and Garry Winogrand was king. I remember learning that he left behind 2,500 undeveloped rolls of film when he died in 1984.
When did art become a pursuit? I have been working as an artist for about ten years. Before that I ran my own portrait and event photography business and still do that a bit.
Are you self-taught or formally educated in visual art? I don’t have a formal art education but I am a photography workshop junkie! I take classes and workshops at Mass College of Art, New England School of Photography, Provincetown Work Art Center, CAA, and the Photography Atelier at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester. That’s where I learned to develop a project and series of images. I enjoy the critique and discourse with other photographers and it’s always an incentive to work harder to be ready for show and tell.
Turquoise, archival pigment print
How did you first become involved with CAA? My first experience with CAA was when I was selected to be in a juried BLUE exhibition. I was thrilled to be included and have been included in subsequent juried RED and BLUE shows, once receiving an honorable mention for one of my self-portraits. I am grateful for the active community nurtured by director Erin Becker.
n what other ways are you involved in the local art community? I belong to a Photo Salon – there are seven of us women and we meet monthly to critique each other’s work. It’s a supportive group and we have become good friends. I also like to go to opening receptions and artist talks, particularly by my friends.
What role do you think the artist plays in society? Artists help us to observe and reflect on our lives and the world we live in. Art connects people on an emotional level and brings people together. Art brings joy to our lives and celebrates imagination.
What medium do you currently work in and how did you choose this medium? I am a photographer and I chose that because I fell in love with the black and white darkroom. Though I no longer work in a darkroom (at least not currently), I have gone back to using film after many years of shooting with a digital SLR. I use both medium format and large format cameras and mostly shoot in color. I like that photography is based on the real world.
Wetland 4, archival pigment print
What is your creative process? Where are you finding ideas for your art these days? Most of my ideas come from what’s going on in my life at the time. For example I made a series of self-portraits dressed up in family clothing, such as my mother’s veiled hats and my father’s navy uniform – things that were saved and stored in boxes in my basement that I wanted to touch and wear after my father and aunt died. I find inspiration in looking at other artists’ work, reading about photography, and listening to stories on the radio. Sometimes a workshop assignment gets me going in a new direction.
How do you choose your subject matter? Is there a reoccurring theme that carries throughout your work? I’ve been told that most of my work is some kind of self-portrait even if it’s a photo of a wetland or light on a wall in my house. I think that’s true for most artists. Time is a key element in photography and important in my work. For example, I have returned to the same wetland behind my house over the past five years and continue to do so. I like knowing a place and making different kinds of photographs there.
In your opinion, what’s your best/favorite piece you’ve made? I love the photo I made of my mother’s silk dress that she wore when she got married in 1950 – the light is beautiful and the fabric is worn and starting to fall apart. It is very personal to me but others connect to it. It was one of those photos that happened fast. Sometimes, you see it and there’s no second-guessing. And the Danforth Museum in Framingham purchased it for their collection!
What is one of your artistic goals? I want to make portraits. I have done some self-portraits and portraits of my daughter Jessie, but I want to do more.
Veil 1, archival pigment print
What’s your favorite place to see art? One of my favorite places is the Morgan Library and Museum in NYC. It’s not crowded and is a beautiful space to look at photographs and smaller works.
What living artists are you inspired by? I love the work by local artist Emily Belz. Her pieces are quietly beautiful and restrained. They are like little poems about observing home and intimate spaces. I also recently discovered the wonderful street portrait work of NYC photographer Amy Touchette. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Provincetown Work Art Center this past summer and she works with a square format film camera, something I also use.
Do you own any art by other artists? Yes, a few but not enough! Though I do buy a lot of books by other artists.
Do you have any shows coming up? Yes! I will be part of a small group show called Light from Home at Galatea Fine Art, 460 Harrison Ave in SOWA during the month of January 2019. The opening reception is First Friday, January 4th, 5-8pm. The work is different for me – it’s fairly abstract about light entering my house. The show is curated by my friend and very talented Provincetown photographer, Jane Paradise.
See More Gail!
Website: www.gailsamuelson.com
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