TREE WRAP

Words and Photos by Nancy Edelstein

“I have been a conceptual photographer for many years, and am drawn to common materials, used in uncommon ways, to enhance perception. My continued interest in light and shadow inspired me to revisit the drama and romance of working with the medium-format camera and black and white film. I was drawn out of doors to address the challenge of making beauty out of the bits of litter I regularly found on my walks through the woods. With recycled scraps of discarded plastic, I draped and embellished the growth in the forest and caught its dance with the trees and the wind. The resulting images surprised me with emotion and an elusive view of a transformed connection between man and nature.This work was the deepening of my interest in the visual language of translucency, transparency, and the layering effects of concealment and revelation, which I continue to explore today.”

Nancy lives and works in Seattle, Washington.

She is currently an MFA candidate at Maryland Institute College of Art.

Woman Crush Wednesday Questionnaire:

1. What is your motivation to make your genre of photographic art?

Challenging perception and capturing the beauty of layered light

2. How does your cultural background influence your art?

I was not raised with a strong cultural identity. This allowed me the freedom to think on my own which probably has had a significant impact on the direction of my work.

3. What is the most difficult thing you have experienced making photos?

Definitely letting go of my attachment to analog and keeping an open mind while transitioning to digital.

Nancy’s Artistic Lifestyle:

1. How would you describe your creative process in one word?

Solitary

2. If you would teach one, one-hour class on anything, what would it be?

I would teach a beginner's class in photography on how to see. No cameras allowed, just an empty slide holder on a string around each neck and a walk outside to frame and take virtual pictures, engaging in discussion along the way. Back in the classroom, each person would be asked to describe their favorite picture of the day.

3. What was the last book you read or film you saw that inspired you?

I haven’t read a book of my own choosing since returning to art school. Right now I’m squeezing in time to finally read one that has been sitting on my shelf for years by Kandinsky: Point and Line to Plane-very interesting!

4. What is the most played song in your iTunes Library?

Probably Brain X 1000 on the album White Noise whenever I’m in my studio.

5. How do you take your coffee?

Black please.

You can find out more about Nancy here.