Into the Field: Mary West Quin
December 1, 2019 -January 10, 2020
Opening reception: Saturday, Dec 14, 5:30pm
Mary West Quin presents a new series of large cyanotypes exploring life in the sugarcane fields.
Into the Field
Into the mystery, the magic, the sweet seduction of the cane in the sultry south. The stalks slither in the air like the snakes that slither amid their roots—as if curious of what rests beyond, caressing their passerbys with a slice of their blades—a kiss to be remembered for weeks to come or possibly longer as scars remain from their intimate passing. The wind blows creating a symphony that honors the complexity of life in the seeming simplicity of the field. To be with it, to walk to its rhythm and move to it’s beat, to become one with its moods and motivations—the slow burn, the black bird, the migratory sweetness of the cane—to experience life, in the field.
BIO
Mary Quin’s work explores a paradox of photography, which renders fleeting ideas and feelings into fixed images. She draws on concepts from anthropology and philosophy to explore the space between camera and subject that often mirrors the spaces within and between people.
Quin works with a traditional view camera to create large negatives (8×10) to produce platinum palladium contact prints, as well as photograms using direct contact with people and objects on the chemistry. She stays grounded in the historical roots and questions of photo—permanence and concerns of objectivity. Her work has been exhibited nationally and resides in many private collections.
Quin holds a BS in Anthropology from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS, an MA in Philosophy the University of Southern Mississippi, and an MFA in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design. She currently lives and works in the Deep South which serves as a crucible for her continued work.
