Something almost ineffable stirs in the heart of Leanne Surfleet's photographs, when the strains of life are too much to bear and one finds one's emotional-psychic lifelines depleted, it's as if light itself suddenly unveils a corner untouched by worry, a fleeting piece of musicality hovering nearby with each click of the shutter, like a release of breath once held after the longest passing storm, moments are frozen but also thawed in the embodied capturing of time. There are wafts of Francesca Woodman's ghost in the air of these self-portraits, (Woodman's own Space² holds lasting significance for the photographer,) but I am stunned by what seems like a second presence in these works altogether, light itself. An accompanying companion almost without name, perhaps spoken silently, (but how can this be?) Emily Dickinson partly provides that answer, when she writes: "There's a certain Slant of light... We can find no scar, But internal difference... When it comes, the Landscape listens – Shadows – hold their breath – When it goes, 'tis like the Distance On the look of Death" Internal difference, it cannot be spoken, its scars do not show, but something in us listens for it nonetheless, perhaps our whole lives are made of this, trying to hear (capture) a sound that cannot be heard, but sometimes, don't we almost feel as if we have? Surfleet turns the lens on her self and the extensions of her world, to provide mirrors/containers for feelings, emotions, worries, anxieties, happiness, depression, but in each of these images there is also that companion of light, the unspoken extra layer of the world, untameable-unnameable, but felt and necessary, irreplaceable, wild, pulsing with life. And to these sacred elements of art, Surfleet observes how "it makes us think about things we wouldn't normally or naturally think about, it makes us wonder, imagine, create, be inspired, feel sad, feel happy, feel something at all, creates dialogue, creates communities, encourages well-being and recovery in creation." One couldn't imagine a world or life without it, she adds. Imagine, there is the third element that dances with the light of these photographs and sometimes even softens the edges of one's roughest, most anxiety ridden hours. AHC: What has your own personal evolution towards a life in art & photography been like, are there a series of moments you can recall where this path, this calling, began to become the one clearly marked for you? Leanne: It started when I was 18 and was gifted a camera and encouraged to experiment - I never had any idea I would be so passionate about it when I was younger but it soon blossomed into a slight obsession. I went to college and studied photography and from there gained some valuable skills in analog photography and realised my love for it. I was also exposed to some of my favourite photographers still today and allowed the freedom and time to find my own style. From there I spent a year or two not doing a whole lot, apart from taking photographs and suffering from anxiety and trying to find a way to combat this with photography. I went to university which I dont feel was very beneficial to me as I was already quite sure of my abilities and what I wanted to do photography-wise, although again I benefited from the freedom and time to simply create photographs. Since university I have carried on and pushed myself forward and am still doing so. AHC: Could you explore and expand on some of the motivating ideas at work in your photography and the process behind the making of them? You've described the photographic act, in part, as a calming mechanism which has helped you make sense of and navigate anxiety, loneliness, mortality, has that changed for you along the way, as that calming effect has been nurtured through your art do you find that you feel more more at peace with some of these life struggles, more able to breathe through the art, like a second skin/nature? Or is it more ebb and flow? Leanne: The motivating idea behind my self-portrait photography is to document myself, my life, my feelings, emotions, worries, anxieties, happiness, depression etc. Same with the portraits I take of my friends and my partner, they're all a part of my life and I feel I need to capture these people and hold a part of them in this way, its personal but I also want people to see what I see, and hopefully resonate and relate to these feelings that I'm expressing. I still suffer from time to time with anxieties, not as persistent as it used to be but it still likes to rear its ugly head when I'm feeling at my most content and happy, and photography still helps me to deal with this in certain ways such as planning projects, keeping my mind occupied, making the time to be creative and to feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. AHC: Who are some of your artistic influences? Is there anyone outside of the art/photography world who has had a huge impact on you and your work or who just generally inspire you on some level, writers, filmmakers, comedians, musicians, teachers/mentors, family members? Leanne: Some influences outside of photography are Tracey Emin, Wes Anderson, Larry David, David Bowie, Rik Mayall, Bjork, Patti Smith - mainly for their outlook on life and the passion for their own individual craft (or the passion they had before they passed). AHC: What do you consider, personally, to be the most sacred and enduring aspects of art? How does it enrich our world and our cultural memory? How has it enriched or altered your own life? In your opinion, what does art, at its finest moments, bring into the world that would otherwise leave us more impoverished without it? Leanne: The fact it makes us think about things we wouldn't normally or naturally think about, it makes us wonder, imagine, create, be inspired, feel sad, feel happy, feel something at all, creates dialogue, creates communities, encourages well-being and recovery in creation, it educates, its history, its fact, its fiction. I just couldn't imagine a world or life without art. AHC: What is the first work of art you encountered that took your breath away, that lit a fire in you? Leanne: It has to be an image by Francesca Woodman, most of her work takes my breath away but I can think of one in particular that blew me away, I don't even know why, but I still love it. It's just perfect to me. 'Space², Providence, Rhode Island, 1975-1978' AHC: Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for young artists and other creatives who are experiencing self-doubt in their art, frustration or blocks? What are the types of things that have helped you to move past moments where you may have become stuck creatively? Leanne: I still experience these blocks or dry spells with creativity, motivation and inspiration, and sometimes nothing really helps me apart from giving it time and waiting for that wave of inspiration to flow back to you. I think if you're a naturally creative person it will always come back to you without having to force it. But often I need a bit of a push, my partner is really good at helping me with that to be honest, he breaks things down and helps me get back to basics and think about what I want to do and the steps I need to take to get back on track. Other than this for advice I'd suggest going to some galleries and museums, even if its nothing to do with the field that you create within a good gallery visit can be very inspiring and spark something new within you that you may not have realised otherwise. AHC: Do you have any upcoming exhibits or new projects you'd like to tell people about? Leanne: I'm hoping to work on another solo exhibition this year and try and branch out with locations for the show. I've got a collaboration that will be released hopefully soon when we find the right outlet to share with, and I have some other shoots and collaborations planned for before and during the summer. I'm always wanting to try something new and am hoping to take portraits of new faces this year - so if anyone is interested in test shooing with me and are based between Norfolk and London (UK) I'd love to hear from you. Flickr © Leanne Surfleet For more information, including purchasing prints, collaborations and more visit www.leannesurfleet.co.uk/ Follow Leanne on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2024
Categories |