EFA STUDIO PROGRAM: ALUMNI
Holly Lynton
I make large-scale, color photographs that address how disconnected we are from the natural world, and express my longing to be more connected through fantasies where a balance has been struck. Sometimes, I respond spontaneously to an event. Other times, I recreate one. Currently, I'm working on a series entitled "Bare Handed," where I sought out individuals who make themselves vulnerable in the face of nature. I attempted to capture the meditative, transformative state they achieved while working with the potentially dangerous animal or in an uncomfortable environment. A bee keeper works with no protective clothing, and men catching catfish use their bare hands. I limit the visual information and remove the original context to highlight the fantastical aspect. In my previous series, "Solid Ground," I approached my backyard as though on safari, getting low to the ground and shooting from an uncomfortable proximity to my subject. In one image, slugs climb over glasses of sugary mojitos that have been left out. There is a jungle at grass level from the slug’s point of view. In an earlier series, "Mean Ceiling," I photographed my face close-up while re-enacting childhood games such as playing in the snow or running through sprinklers. Whenever I approach a body of work, I photograph from a variety of unusual vantage points to find a unique perspective.
