March 2013
Artist’s Statement
My nudes are not portraits. Nor are they a glimpse into the intimate lives of women. Despite the negative connotations of “objectification”, that term feels like the most accurate way to describe them, as objects. As in much of my photography, I am drawn to what is foreign and mysterious, and this certainly applies to my fascination with the female form.
In this work I am particularly interested in what light and shadow do to line, form and texture. The female form takes a myriad of shapes, is both beautiful and dynamic in all its manifestations. My goal in these images is to reduce this form to its abstract essence and find the contrasts, the parallels, and the dynamic opposition that it creates. The natural world of rocks, trees, moss and sky, as well as industrial scenarios with their metals and rust, and even the more intimate environments of home and its soft edges, curtains, sheets and pillows, provide an excellent tableau for just that exploration. Combining these vignettes with an eye to scale, either viewing the body as monumental or juxtaposed with the wider world on a scale than can dwarf us humans, my aim is to end up with 2D sculptural objects.
On technique: The images in this series were created using Polaroid films, types 55 and 665. The inherent properties of these two very unique films allow for some wonderful adventures into the plastic nature of flesh and the topography of the female form as revealed in the realm of light and shadow.
Processed conventionally, the Polaroid film’s grain pattern gives skin a smooth, creamy look. In many of these photographs, through the use of a technique called the “Sabattier effect”, where a negative is solarized, the shadow is reversed and takes on a more dominant role. Further distressing the negative imposes a variety of textures in these photographs. By allowing the fresh, soft, wet negative to be exposed to ambient light, to become easily distressed by elements on a location such as sand, dust, leaves, and then by using other techniques such as wet scanning, these images are given a distinctive look. I find that I am still in mourning over the end of Polaroid and the creative possibilities that these unique films added to one’s arsenal.
Biography
Bryce Lankard is a native of North Carolina, and attended UNC-Chapel HiIl. He has served in the roles of Art Director, Photo Editor, Curator and Principal Photographer from New Orleans to New York City, garnering numerous awards for his photography and design. In 1995 he was a co-founder of TRIBE magazine in New Orleans and served as Creative Director for the celebrated publication. He went on to work for 9 years in New York City. In late 2006, following Hurricane Katrina, he returned to New Orleans and co-founded the non-profit New Orleans Photo Alliance. He forged the NOPA mission to create opportunities for the vibrant but neglected photography community in the Gulf South and to provide education and exposure to both the public and practitioners of the medium. Returning to North Carolina in early 2009 he has continued to share his knowledge by teaching at venues such as UNC, the Gregg Museum, the Art Institute, the Light Factory, the ArtsCenter and Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies. Throughout all this he has continued to challenge himself creatively, exploring the language of photography and has exhibited the results internationally to critical acclaim.
