BERLIN.- Galerie Minimal is presenting a solo exhibition by photographer Natalie Christensen.
Speaking on The Deconstructed Self, Christensen states: In 2014 I moved from the state of Kentucky to Santa Fe, New Mexico leaving my lifelong home and my 25-year career as a psychotherapist behind. While it was an exciting moment it was also a time of questioning and reflection.
Like many artists who have come to New Mexico, I was immediately drawn to the distinctive Southwestern light. The beauty of the natural environment is evident to most people; however, my interest was to explore the more banal peripheral landscapes that often go unnoticed by the casual observer. I began by photographing color fields and geometric shapes. I was interested in the way light and shadow could spark complex narratives, and I quickly became aware that these isolated moments in the suburban landscape were rich with metaphor. Closed and open doors, empty parking lots and forgotten swimming pools drew me to a scene; yet it was my reactions to these objects and spaces that elicited interpretation and projection.
As a psychotherapist, I learned the art of asking the question in many ways these photographs are an extension of that work. The symbols and spaces in my images are an invitation to explore a rich world that is concealed from consciousness. And the scenes are an enticement to contemplate narratives that have no remarkable life or history yet tap into something deeply familiar to our experience; often disturbing, sometimes amusing
unquestionably present.
The Los Angeles Center for Digital Art named Natalie Christensen as one of Ten Photographers to Watch. Christensens photography has been exhibited in London, Dusseldorf, New York and Los Angeles. The Royal Photographic Society in the United Kingdom has presented her artwork and a lecture by the artist. As one of five invited photographers for The National 2018: Best of Contemporary Photography at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, her work was bestowed the purchase prize and thereby added to the museums permanent collection. Collaborative site-specific projects have been put forth by Iconic Standard Vision Billboard, Los Angeles; El Rey Court, Santa Fe; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque and Peckham Levels, London.