Human/Nature
By Tiffany Teske
5 June 2008
While I have earned some of my living through writing, I always find it difficult to put the emotions behind my work into words. There is a lot of pressure on artists to say something profound about what they have created. Often in doing so, I find that the artist somewhat alienates the viewer by spouting off incredibly complex theories about why they create what they do. I haven't the patience to even begin to draft that kind of explanation. Not because I do not care to give a voice to my work but because no matter what I have to say about it someone else will have something different to say. And it is precisely for that reason that I have a passion to create. Who am I, creator or not, to color the viewing experience of someone else? My ideas or thoughts or feelings are mine and it is with regret that I even title my work because I know just one simple word can change a person's perception of a piece.
That being said, I appreciate beauty. It is my inspiration. I find beauty in the simple, beauty in that which is ornate, beauty in the typical notion of what is beautiful, and beauty in what other people shun as ugly....
My work in Human/Nature is almost wholly on a quasi-micro scale. These works are not landscapes that reveal the "bigger picture" but rather segments of a whole. My decision to produce this series using Polaroid is a calculated one. The miniature size of these images, play an integral part of the over all feeling of intimacy one feels when they are forced to get up close to each work in order to view it. The muted tones, produced by the combination of subject matter and materials I have chosen, create an over all romanticized and thought provoking view of matter that we encounter everyday. All chosen components work together to make even what borders on taboo to some, more accessable to all.
Human. Nature. Why do I choose to focus my lens on these two elements? Inevitably there are new reasons that come to light all the time. One reason is that I am fascinated by the opposite poles that exist from one to another. At times both are familiar and strange, both starling and peaceful, both exciting and mundane. My compositions seek to explore the opposites which logically highlight the similarities. Another reason, while basic and maybe even cliché is because I find the human body to be beautiful, whether clothed or naked, whether innocent or erotic, whether round or square, there is beauty.
This body of work began in 2002 with a single image, taken as part of a self assignment I challenged myself to complete. I am still working on it and I am not sure if it will ever be finished. It should be noted here that not one of my models is a professional. Each person has volunteered to pose for me after seeing a part of this series. These individuals illustrate that beauty is not unique but is present in all. This reverence carries over to plants, vegetables, and fruit, which when studied reveal beauty in all their elements.
There is wonder to be found in looking at something that you thought you knew by heart and finding out you do not really know anything. I invite you to explore the unknown beauty in that which you have seen innumerable times before today. And I will not tell you how to feel about any of it. The discovery should be yours.
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