Journal Postings: Jenny Fine
| (11/06/08): Recent Images |  as of November 6, 2008. |
| (11/06/08): the night we left |  72"x36"
mixed media photograph |
| (11/06/08): mourning old sister |  10"x10"
tintype |
| (11/06/08): deceived |  4"x4"
Ambrotype |
| (11/06/08): the sisters |  10"x10"
tintype |
| (11/06/08): push |  4"x4"
Ambrotype |
| (11/06/08): untitled |  8"x8"
Ambrotype |
| (11/06/08): Dunce cap |  10"x10"
Tintype |
| (01/11/07): new images. | !["Photobucket]("http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/jennyfine/twins-net.jpg")
!["Photobucket]("http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/jennyfine/seated-net.jpg") |
| (01/11/07): new images. |  This process is slow, but I'm learning a lot. |
| (01/11/07): The twins |  another recent image. |
| (08/25/06): an image |  I don't know what happened the end of my last entry, but here is one of the images I made while studying with the Ostermans. |
| (07/28/06): the beginning. | Dusty bottles and gigantic cameras, head clamps and parlor chairs, sideshow tapestries, strange contraptions, curious machines and the smell of ether: these are the things that overwhelmed my curiosity as I crept up the creaking steps and into France and Mark Osterman’s attic. Walking into their attic was unlike any attic I had entered before…for their attic was a time capsule, a lifetime’s collection of curiosities, an assortment of oddities in all shapes and sizes. Their attic was an entrance to the past and I was the welcomed trespasser.
Even upon my first conversation with Mark and France their love and knowledge of photography was always the forefront of discussion. And during my stay they bestowed upon me more than enough information to leave me feeling inspired and to be quite honest a little overwhelmed. The Osterman’s have a great respect for our past and especially the forefathers of photography. And it was their vast knowledge and passion for their medium as well as our common interests that made me all the more excited to have the opportunity to study with such amazing people.
I began my study with the Osterman’s at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Growing up in small town Alabama I have not always been afforded the opportunity to visit museums, but on such rare occasions as this I always find myself moved by the work that surrounds me and then creeps in the realization that perhaps I too could make work that speaks with such magnitude. Spending the morning in the galleries that displayed more contemporary artists and then the afternoon in the historical archives was a very interesting experience. And it was there sitting amongst the shelves and boxes of historical photographs that I realized that I would soon be experiencing what it was like to make photographs in the 1800’s.
The following are short excerpts from journals during my stay in Rochester.
“France seems to have a lot of confidence in me and told me that I would go far with this process because I am courageous. I still have no idea really what I am doing other than following her lead, but such a statement speaks not only to her kind and generous nature, but also to her great ability as a teacher. I have found in the Ostermans a great love for photography and it is in the presence of this passionate couple that I find an even stronger desire in myself to make work that speaks to our past.”
“Today I made six ambrotypes and mixed collodion and prepared the negatives that we will make tomorrow. Tomorrow a film crew is coming to tape my tutorial for a feature film entitled Artist and Alchemists which is expected to be release in Fall 2008. The film is including interviews by Mark and France Osterman, Sally Mann, Jayne Hines Bidaut, Chuck Close, Mark Kessell, and a few others. France asked me months ago if it would be alright if our tutorial was filmed, but at the time I had no knowledge of the details. Today Mark told me that the film crew had asked if they could interview me about my work. And surprisingly this did not make me nervous in the least bit…that is until they had the lighting set up, had put powder on my face and had the camera pointing straight at me. Then I was nervous, but the film crew was really great and the producers were truly wonderful people. And I was flattered to have such an opportunity.
Recently, I have returned to Alabama and have begun the process of becoming a real person. Looking for a job, putting together a darkroom and trying to figure out how |
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who we are