| I began photography because I wanted to satisfy an urge I had to create visual stories. I began in December 2008 when I graduated from Temple University. I had just received two degrees in film and English, but my thirst had not been quenched. I wanted a faster and more efficient way of telling the stories I had in my head. I create photographs because I want to create worlds that I wish we could live in. A few things define my photographic style, one of which being the square format that I use on my photographs. I often work to extend the frame outward instead of cropping in by blending multiple photos together in the editing process. This allows me to print my photographs larger for exhibitions. |  |
Brooke Shaden
I began photography because I wanted to satisfy an urge I had to create visual stories. I began in December 2008 when I graduated from Temple University. I had just received two degrees in film and English, but my thirst had not been quenched. I wanted a faster and more efficient way of telling the stories I had in my head. I create photographs because I want to create worlds that I wish we could live in. A few things define my photographic style, one of which being the square format that I use on my photographs. I often work to extend the frame outward instead of cropping in by blending multiple photos together in the editing process. This allows me to print my photographs larger for exhibitions. It also works to break the mold of the “photograph” and help me venture into an undefined medium. I want to blur the lines between the mediums, and force the viewer to look beyond the title of “photograph” and see the art for what it is. I work to create a genre that is unique. I try to emulate a painterly quality in my images, as many paintings have inspired my work in one way or another. I often create my own brush strokes with the use of post-processing. A defining aspect of my photography is that I often work with self-portraiture. For me self-portraiture is not about documenting my daily life; instead, it enters a realm where real life scenarios are dramatized and highlighted in surreal and dark ways. My work threatens and confronts the viewer, often begging the question of what it means to be alive. The dark side of life is something that is often unaddressed by many people. I hope to create juxtaposition in my work by comparing beauty to pain. I want my images to be aesthetically beautiful, but deal with subjects that are hard to look at. That juxtaposition is a tension that is engrained in the very visual of the work, and is also woven into the symbolism of the photograph as well. My goal is to create visual poetry; to me, poetry is the succinct banter of tension through words. My photography is tension through imagery.
