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To me, being an artist is to be perceptive in ways that others can’t be. To focus on the details and the texture. To sense tension and mood. In my work, and with these things in mind, I like to create an atmosphere in which to get lost. I usually gravitate towards photographing people, or at least their bodies. I tend to be pretty close with my models, which is helpful since they are usually nude. I like working with interesting and passionate people, I like seeing what inspires them, and, in turn, they inspire me. I like to exhibit their strengths and weaknesses, but not always in a literal way. I’m more interested in showing their humanity and in evoking an emotional response, which is also why they are often depicted anonymously.
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Dreamscapes – Chrysta Giffen
To me, being an artist is to be perceptive in ways that others can’t be. To focus on the details and the texture. To sense tension and mood. In my work, and with these things in mind, I like to create an atmosphere in which to get lost.
I usually gravitate towards photographing people, or at least their bodies. I tend to be pretty close with my models, which is helpful since they are usually nude. I like working with interesting and passionate people, I like seeing what inspires them, and, in turn, they inspire me. I like to exhibit their strengths and weaknesses, but not always in a literal way. I’m more interested in showing their humanity and in evoking an emotional response, which is also why they are often depicted anonymously.
I like layering images and abstracting the body. I like contrasting textures like hard, rough metal and soft, smooth skin. I think the aesthetic of disparity is beautiful and interesting, but I’m not trying to make a specific statement about it. I like the idea of old and distressed objects having a history. I usually use moody lighting. I try to show all of that in my images and, in a way, it all comes back around to manipulating a particular idea of reality. To create a surreal universe that is self-sufficient in just an image; that is beautiful to me. Whether these moments happen naturally, or whether I’m staging them to express things that I feel drawn to, doesn’t make a difference to me. It’s my outlet to express myself that’s the important part. One of the most appealing things, to me, about having an audience is to learn of all the different interpretations that people have—of what the images mean to them.
