SIGNATURE ARTIST MEMBER Mallorie Ostrowitz
My work is about the abstraction of the natural and urban landscape using a close-up approach; focusing on finding patterns, texture and color in the various surfaces and presenting them as design compositions.
In my career as an artist, my medium has changed; from painting and sculpture to years as a graphic designer, and now, photography, but my focus has always been on design. For me, photography is not a literal translation of our world, but rather, a means of interpretation. I use the camera as a vehicle to “paint” the design, rather than to make a realistic interpretation.
My work focuses often on the intimate landscape; I get close in, often within inches of the subject, in order to see the subtleties of the design of the particular earth or building surface. For me, the landscape is often a vehicle to create an abstraction by finding the dominant design element in each surface and using that element to create the composition. When I shoot a large landscape, I am in pursuit of the lines and curves that come together to create a scene that flows.
As a frequent traveler, I also have a documentary approach to my work; telling a story about the people and places as I see them. The work of Eugene Atget has also influenced my approach in cities; I capture reflected images in store windows which creates an image challenging the viewer.
When I began my career as a photographer, my focus has been to find beautiful or interesting design, texture and color in these aging metal, wood and cement surfaces and capture them as fine art. More recently, I have expanded to capture illusion and document the places I visit. Rather than design from my imagination, I use the existing world to compose and “paint” my images.