Cactus Study, 2024 ©Donna Dangott
The images presented here are from an extensive and ongoing body of work in the form of traditional B&W fine art photography titled Anima Naturae: Nature Spirit. Most of these images have yet to be exhibited or published anywhere before now. When approached by SXSE Magazine publisher and editor, Nancy McCrary, to share some of the work I have been concentrating on recently, it felt like the right time to start releasing some of this project for others to see. Much of the imagery I have focused upon for exhibitions over the past four years has been much more conceptual. While most of those works include elements of the natural world, in one way or another, that work is more surrealistic and impressionistic, utilizing composites and blending various components together for a final image. In 2024 I spent time going through my thousands of landscapes and nature-based images to begin pulling together work for new exhibition opportunities and other projects. My intention was to bring together images that were captured in various environments and over a span of many years, but that also shared a unifying theme and similar aesthetic. Although I began my photographic journey in black & white analog processes and my aesthetic preference to this day leans in that direction, I have been working completely in the digital realm for many years now.
The images in ANIMA NATURAE: Nature Spirit include botanical, animal, bird, stone, and other natural subjects or geological features captured ‘in situ’ as they are found in their actual and natural locations. They are not re-arranged by me or carried back to a studio setting and tinkered with as in a still-life arrangement. In this work I am seeking to express the essence of an object or place, as well as the literal and physical aspects of the subject, the diverse forms, textures, patterns and details of each that exist in nature. Digital darkroom editing is utilized judiciously to further dramatize or emphasize certain aspects of a given image, but I try to minimize how much I use those tools in this body of work. The Latin word Anima directly translates to “breath, spirit, life,” making it the most fitting term for a spiritual essence within nature. And the Latin word Naturae is the generative form of “natura” (nature), indicating that the “spirit” belongs to nature. My spirit intuitively knows this to be true. Since my childhood I have been more at home outdoors and ‘in nature’ than anywhere else. It fascinates, inspires, teaches and nurtures me. This particular body of work has been much like a personal journal that celebrates the essence and spirit of the natural world as I know it.
Four decades ago, I worked as a medical and biological illustrator, using a variety of tools and techniques, including a camera. Therefore, I am quite comfortable making close and careful observations. My husband’s background in marine biology, zoology, botany and biochemistry has also taught me much over the 42 years that we’ve been adventuring together. We always have cameras and other gear with us to observe with and that we use for making a record of our discoveries along the way. The perfect team in many respects—as one of us tends to observe in a more scientific manner and the other with more of an artistic sensibility, and together we appreciate both approaches and learn from one another. We joke with one another that it takes us twice as long to complete any hiking trail or road trek because we travel at a biologist and artist pace. This literally means that we stop quite often to observe and document along the way, regardless of where we are—woodlands, wetlands, seashores, mountains or deserts. Any environment can be a source of discovery or revelation. My mantra for many years now has been ‘looking is not the same as seeing’. We truly do see more and understand more about the world we live in when we take the time to do so thoughtfully. For me personally, this also includes sometimes purposefully not having a camera between me and whatever I am observing—to take a pause and just simply observe. I know this may sound counter-intuitive to other photographers. To me, the act of intentionally being present and willing to absorb details through all of my senses is very important. There are magical moments that cannot or should not be recorded on film or pixels. And I, for one, do not want to miss the opportunity to record in my own brain’s memory bank those impressions of the shifting of the light, the sounds, the scents, the sensations, etc. All of these elements imprint differently and deeply. Those kinds of moments keep me connected to the nature spirit. Personally, I have also found they do indeed inform my visual art in one way or another, whether they were photographed or not at any given point in time. Many months or even years later after they were experienced, those memories can and do help guide my artistic choices. I would like to believe that this comes through to some degree to the viewer too. More importantly, I hope that it inspires others to spend more time in nature—walk in it, sit still in it, swim in it, touch it, smell it, soak it up, honor it, share it with others, and do whatever you can to protect it for other generations to come.
BIO:
Donna Dangott is an American Photographic Artist. She has exhibited her work extensively across the US in both group and solo exhibitions, as well as in a variety of print media and virtual galleries. Her work is held in many private and public collections. Her unique style comes from a background in biomedical illustration and in fine art photography. Although originally devoted to analog photography, her work has evolved into a totally digital creative process. Her work ranges from the realistic to the surreal, and explores many themes, including our connection to the natural world and our relationships with one another. She received her BFA in Photography in 1988 from Austin Peay State University. Currently based in Texas, she previously lived and worked in Massachusetts and Tennessee, and frequently travels the country and abroad. She is represented by Gallery 7NINE based in Dallas, TX.
Donna Dangott
D.Dangott Studio
4604 Pro Court
College Station, TX 77845
(979)324-0154
Gallery Website: www.gallery7nine.com
Artist Website: www.ddangott.com
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Facebook: donna.dangott
