In regard to my own work right now, one of my goals is to become comfortable being less overt, to accept being more ambiguous for the sake of figuring out what the work means to me. After all, the art we make is ultimately for ourselves. For this reason, I’ve been drawn to photographic projects that contain different types of pictures, mix color and black and white, combine images with diverse lighting scenarios and overall styles. This is how I would describe the work of Ioanna Sakellaraki, especially as I’ve presented it here: selections from Turtles followed by Aidos.
According to Sakellaraki, her work “suggests a constructed space of fantasy and loss within the magical potential of transformation and fiction the camera allows.” Each of Sakellaraki’s photos makes me think about place – places’ identities, what our surroundings say about who we are, how our surroundings inform who we are. In an artist statement for Turtles, Sakellaraki writes, “In the effort to let go of the human obsession for order and rhythm, I led myself adrift in the big wide world.” I love this idea of leading yourself adrift in the process of art making, of experiencing art, of experiencing life. I find the resulting images – and they way they work together – mesmerizing and otherworldly.
From “Turtles”
From “Aidos”
Visit artist's site: ioannasakellaraki.com
Posted February 20th, 2019
