"Becoming Aware"- Lisa Anderson

Lisa Anderson: “Becoming Aware”

Project Space: This series of photographs carries multiple objectives, representing an exploration of various

methods, materials, and technologies available through the medium of Photography. It also

represents a narrative that calls attention to the societal expectations placed on women, and the

pressures we place on ourselves as a result. It is about how we as women interact with our world,

and some of the different ways we may view ourselves.

The photos may invoke feelings of nostalgia, or a time that has passed, but in fact, there is no

indication of any time period in which the subject is placed. From the lens of today, one might

feel the weight of past generations, the effects of advertising, or expectations placed on us by

ourselves and others. The images are intended to reveal a continuum of feeling, over any idea of

resolution. There is nothing that shows us an end is just around the corner, happy or otherwise.

Photography as an artistic medium interests me in the way that it can capture a reality that the

artist creates, or wants the viewer to see. Through its implied objectivity, it allows the viewer to

focus more on the subject matter, over the materials used to create it. In this series, moments

were captured with various formats, including digital, 35mm film, and a pinhole camera. Digital

cameras are great for experimenting with composition and exposure because the user is allowed

essentially endless attempts to find the right balance. 35mm film has a larger dynamic range and

grain structure that simply can’t be impersonated by digital sensors or software. I also enjoy the

dark room processes and all of the traditional craft associated with it. Pinhole photography is

challenging because of the variables involved, such as finding the right exposure time. It is fun

to be surprised by interesting light artifacts produced by the way light bounces off of the frayed

edges as it enters the small pinhole of the camera.

Though I enjoy the materials and processes of photography, I ultimately want to direct the viewer

to the subject matter, the realities and narratives I want them to see. This is why the medium

works for this series. Photography has a way of objectively capturing something that the viewer

can easily identify as reality, in a way that other mediums such as painting and drawing cannot,

allowing the viewer to focus on the subject in the frame.

The opening reception for this exhibition will be August 1st, 5-8:00 p.m.

The work will be on view August 1st, 2025 – August 29th, 2025

Gallery events are always free and open to the public.