christina ponce
Artist
Statement
My work ranges from traditional photography, manipulated photographic processes, video, and installation. In my photographic work, people and relationships tend to be the dominant subject matter. I create work that invites the viewer to engage in a relationship with it, either through scale or aesthetics. The imagery that attracts me is dark and sensual, full of emotion and energy, and is what is reflected in my work. My work as a whole is constantly evolving into different bodies of work as influences come and go in my daily life.
My current body of work is breaking down the boundaries of traditional photography by manipulating the photographic process with a technique I call photo-chemical painting. This is a process that attempts to bring to the surface both the feeling and emotion of the participants in the imagery. In the photographic darkroom, I begin with the traditional process of making an enlargement of the photograph, and then use sponges, brushes, and my fingers to apply and control the two main chemicals that allow the image to become visible. This allows me to control what parts of the image are revealed and focused on. The intensity of the marks of chemistry work not only to accentuate the emotion behind the image but also to record the emotion I felt at the time of the prints creation. Some of the work is done on a large scale so that the viewer must engage in a relationship with it, and other images are done on a more intimate scale allowing the viewer to come in close to interact with it. The images are subtle, cropped close, and blurred with movement in the camera. This, along with my surface manipulations, allows for the final prints to seem abstract at the first glance, and become increasing clear as they are viewed. Visually, the final images look like there is fire, smoke, or water incorporated into them, which emphasizes the emotion of the scene. The look and expressive nature of the marks attempt to incorporate a sense of raw emotion in the surface of the print. This serves not only to create an original one-of-a-kind artwork, but also to add multiple layers of meaning to the image.
Education
M.F.A. Creative Photography, CA. State University Fullerton
B.F.A. Fine Art Photography, CA. State University Long Beach
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