b a r b a r a    l e e    b l a c k

I am a photographer who also became a collector. My collection is a repository for objects I use in my still life compositions which are assembled for the purpose of the photograph. Stored in old buildings or consciously placed outside in the weather to decompose, rust, and deteriorate, my collection consists of items I have selectively salvaged from our modern world of mass consumption. Tokens of the age of mechanical reproduction such as dolls, valentine boxes, and globes are altered and transformed through disuse, abuse and neglect. Having lost their utilitarian value, as well as what some would consider their collectible value, their significance lies in the hidden promise now revealed in their aesthetic value. I also photograph more organic subject matter such as butterflies, bones, flowers, taxidermy and the occasional road kill. Throughout my compositions, these objects act as visual reminders of the inevitability of decay and death, referencing temporality and impermanence. Captured in their newly granted lives, these objects transcend their previous fate, and are thus reciprocally immortalized. For me, this process of collecting and photographing my assemblages is equivalent to a rescue mission; to save from extinction, to reclaim, revitalize and recontextualize what others might discard or reject. My photographs give new life to objects that were previously collected and once cherished. Through their displaced and manipulated context, the discarded, broken, frayed and forgotten are now open to the creation of new meanings with alternative histories and futures. The photograph becomes the object which allows these castaways to be cherished once more. The elements within my compositions function relationally to connote ideas and feelings beyond the immediate recording of the actual objects. My art practice is an exploration of the communicative potential of visual symbols. The viewer who is willing to explore the various associations within my photographs is led into the labyrinth of the unconscious mind, which is a source of dreams, myths, and fairytales. Several of my works have appeared in various literary publications, newspapers and books.   Works from The Passing of a Dream series have been exhibited regionally and nationally in solo and group shows since 1990.   Framed and unframed works are part of private collections in the United States and Europe. You can contact me at barbara@barbaraleeblack.com with any questions about pricing or upcoming shows. Thanks, and have a radiant day.