YOUTH IN FOCUS

Our Youth in Focus series is a collaborative effort, providing the unique opportunity for a young artist to be personally involved in producing their own solo exhibition. It encourages young artists to envision and thoughtfully plan and produce a complete body of work to be shown in a professional setting. It is designed to further both the artist's and the public's understanding and appreciation of the visual arts.

Facing Ourselves

The pictorial and conceptual traditions of painting have left a lasting imprint on photography, though it seems the influence is two-sided: rather like the face of a coin, one cannot separate what is inextricably linked from the other side, nor deny the value of the whole. Both mediums–and the creative processes of each–have spurred innovations, challenging our conventional notions of reality and its representation. The photographic image, however, changed how art was both produced and reproduced. Suddenly the portrait was no longer only the purveyance of the elite or wealthy–it now belonged to a class of citizen that previously had no visual record. A tangible object now existed–portable, accessible–that could be both keepsake and artistic ornament.

In the nearly two centuries that have passed, photography has more than proved its legitimacy, claiming its place as a prominent art form and repeatedly adapting and transforming itself through new technologies. But through all this advancement, we ourselves have not evolved past the need to carry about our own likeness, or to produce–even direct–the camera’s efforts to capture a moment in our lives.

With Surfaces, Brooke Borgardt borrows from the traditions of both painting and photography, and by juxtaposing these elements she utilizes her camera as a radical tool for self-expression. Brooke’s use of mixed media is an inspired combination, one that allows her to creatively express her ideas–by the stroke of a brush and the press of a shutter– simultaneously.

– Christina Katsolis

SURFACES

Photographs by Brooke Borgardt

MARCH 2 – JUNE 26, 2021

Artist Statement:

The process by which I took these photos was very important to me. To get the look that I wanted I found that I could prop up a mirror and shoot into it. This was what allowed me to change the surfaces that framed each photo and to be able to achieve the look that I wanted in camera. Since I spend most of my time exploring different mediums, it made sense for me to blend that in with the portraits that I took. I have spent most of my time at home painting, and when I began to shoot it just felt natural to combine the two. Before I would shoot, I always had a vision of what I wanted to convey. I would often make sketches, or even little paintings of how I hoped the photos would come out. I shot everything for this series from my bedroom. I did this mostly because I have been spending all of my time at home due to Covid. Though at times challenging, it became a blessing because I was able to create in a comfortable environment. I believe that this greatly contributed to the finished product. 

A great deal of the photos that I took were a result of just experimenting while I shot.

I began taking these photos when quarantine began. I was frustrated creatively, and I needed something to break me of that. Through this time, I have found that emotions cannot help but bleed into the art that we create. I wanted to show that. When I felt frustrated that I could not see my friends, or secluded when I couldn’t go out, it would come out in my art. It was important to me that I portray the frustration that it felt to be at home, as well as the advantages, and feeling that need to create.

I always advocate that everyone is creative, we make art all the time, which is a way of connecting with others. It was important to me that I accurately demonstrate here not just the struggles of creating, and how different emotions play a part, or how they make you brave, but also how your art can work through you. I did not want this to simply serve as a way of displaying what kind of photos I can take, but a way to share creativity. I have discovered that there is a connection between the artist and the art, even when they are separated. That is what makes our creations so unique. 

– Brooke Borgardt

A NOTE FROM THE CURATOR:

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman

A “selfie” is usually spontaneous–casually made in a moment and shared immediately. Conversely, a self-portrait requires introspection, vision and intention–the opposite of what we consider to be a casual selfie. Yet, the aspect of performance, and of control, remains just as much a tenet of self-portraiture as the ubiquitous selfie.

Brooke’s creative exploration of self reveals nearly as much as it seeks to conceal. Her audience must divine her personality–her thoughts, emotions–from each frame as she expertly crafts and carries us through her artistic narrative. Her images, much like the character she presents, are full of depth. Brooke places a clear partition–a barrier–between herself and the camera. Although occupying a central position in the frame, she uses other devices–like a swathe of paint obscuring her eyes– to offset our understanding or lessen her sense of vulnerability in front of the lens.

Her skillful manipulation of foreground and background elements gives a seamless feel to each frame, despite the fact that each image consists of multiple layers. This dimensionality encourages a deeper look, an exploration of what’s beneath the surface. Her photographs are far from static; they invite the viewer to interpret–and therefore interact–with each new expression of her psyche. These evolving self-portraits are playful, thoughtful and enigmatic. One questions:

Does she remain the subject, or has she transformed her very persona into an object of her own creation?

Although Brooke has the opportunity to pose artfully, her expression is relatively unchanging. Recalling the stoic features found in early portraiture–slow exposure required a subject’s immobility for often minutes at a time–she chose to model in similar fashion. As Brooke’s face remains mostly impassive, the viewer must evaluate her mood through other visual clues. The delicate tension in each photograph is the result of her choice of color and its associated emotional value, her changing wardrobe, hairstyle, posture and accessories. In some images, she gazes dispassionately away from the camera’s lens; in others she stares directly at it, almost a challenge of sorts–can we meet her gaze unflinchingly? There are a host of emotions on display, accentuated by her pattern of brushstrokes and the manner in which they were applied. Using her brush, she conveys the softness of tears sliding down her check. By using a palette knife, she allows the paint to smear and spread, pushing it across the surface, hurried and impressionistic in style. A fleeting moment to matches her thoughts.

An array of backdrops, draped or hung with care, complete her scenes, further removing us from reality. By eliminating a sense of context, the viewer must rely solely on what they see before them. We are shown multiple “truths” but remain uncertain of which is real. By employing the use of a mirrored surface, she utilizes its ability to both distort and reflect. This duality–the concept of occupying more than one identity–introduces yet another paradox:

What is a true reflection and what isn’t?

Split features, selective blur and soft focus techniques eventually give way to an abstract likeness, skillfully portrayed through bold brushstrokes. The artist has painted herself in multi-hued colors upon a round mirror–not to invite scrutiny–but to further undermine it. Placing the mirror on a backdrop and rendering the scene as a still life not only removes all notion of vanity (which one expects from such a tool) but indicates the artist is aware of the viewer’s gaze and the irony of that very examination. As such, the viewer cannot connect or identify with the central figure depicted, and aware of this detachment, is forced to switch roles, contemplating what they would see reflected, were they to look in the mirror themselves.

The impulse to examine oneself, naturally, must first occur from within, and this outward depiction of the process reveals Brooke’s sophisticated commentary on this long established genre of fine art.

– Christina Katsolis  

become a part of the exhibition

By choosing plexiglass as her canvas and installing an interactive panel in the gallery, she’s turned what’s commonly regarded as a negative thing–a barrier–into a means and mode of communication.

Take the portrait challenge: The public is invited to become a part of this exhibition by stepping behind the painted plexi panel and taking a photograph. We invite you to share your Surfaces portrait with us by tagging @SoutheastMuseumofPhotography on Instagram. We’d like to feature your image!

behind the scenes