visions

 
 

My art has always been about perception: does everyone see things in the same way? How do our assumptions affect what we see? And what happens if the subject of a piece is unclear or obscured? For many years I explored these questions through paintings and installation art, but for the past 10 years I have been using photography as my primary medium.

In my quest to create images that are as ambiguous as they are beautiful, I have turned to toy cameras like the Holga and selective focus lenses like the lensbaby. I love the blurriness and low fidelity of these devices, as well as their unpredictability. For me, the photographs they produce are like dreams or visions -- places where reality is suspended and the imagination takes over. This gallery presents some of my favourite pieces.

 

All photographs and text © 2013 Ilene Sterns