Project Statements

Hydroscapes

There are defining moments in our lives that can be seen as both a beginning and an ending.  This series of photographs reflects upon passages through physical space where boundaries are blurred between where one space ends and another begins.  Our perspective determines how a system and the surroundings will be defined and therefore influences how we discern the space.   Precious hand-made palladium prints are immersed in water and made vulnerable as the two blend into one. Refraction, reflection and current transform the otherwise static two-dimensional image by creating an abstract barrier through which the viewer must negotiate in order to understand the image.  This alteration of perception is similar to the way in which memories and experiences influence our frame of reference by obscuring the distinction between such things as past and present, inside and outside and entering and exiting. The resilience and transformation of the images in water mirrors the fragility and adaptability of life and how our experiences ripple through and shape our lives.  

This series utilizes different photographic processes involving a large format camera, 4x5 inch black and white film, a palladium print, a digital camera and an archival giclee print.

Argyrotype Landscapes

Amy Sue Greenleaf’s argyrotype landscapes use of light and simple composition are reminiscent of the pictorial era of photography and creates an atmosphere of emotion and mystery. Form and tonality reveal the objects within the photographs, and through this revelation create a dialogue between the object and its surroundings.

Amy Sue Greenleaf’s photographs are printed in the alternative process photography technique called the argyrotype.  The argyrotype process is a contact print that is created with a hand-applied silver iron sensitizer. The negative is placed in contact with sensitized paper and exposed under ultra-violet light or sunlight.  The resulting image is the size of the original negative. The photographs were taken with a medium format camera, and the negatives were enlarged to 7x7 inches.

Waterborne

Amy Sue Greenleaf’s self-portraits are 8x10 argyrotype and van dyke brown prints re-photographed while immersed in the water of streams and rivers. The final images are Giclee prints.  Fragments of her figure are revealed and concealed by the abstract veil created by the water and light. The reflection and refraction of light create this abstract barrier through which the viewer must negotiate in order to understand the image. At times the images are difficult to grasp leaving the viewer longing to see or know more.   The portraits are sometimes difficult to see because they blend in with the water; they are camouflaged as if for protection from the vulnerability created by self-portraiture. Other times, the figures are puzzling because they are out of context and do not logically belong within the surrounding water.

Frame of Reference

There are defining moments in our lives that can be seen as both a beginning and an ending. This series of photographs reflects upon passages through physical space where boundaries are blurred between where one space ends and another begins. Our perspective determines how the system and the surroundings will be defined and therefore influences how we perceive the space. Memory affects our frame of reference, thereby obscuring the distinction between such things as past and present, inside and outside and entering and exiting. This series of images is taken with a 4x5 inch large format camera and printed in platinum palladium.

You Make a Better Door Than a Window

In the series “You Make a Better Door than a Window,” Amy Sue Greenleaf explores the relationship between the opaque and translucent.  Behind the photograms of feathers and leaves are hints of opaque objects. These opaque objects such as tree bark and stones could not logically create a photogram.  A dialogue begins between the opaque and translucent objects and the objects start to take on each other’s properties. The translucent becomes more opaque and vice versa bringing harmony to their discord.  This idea of a transfer of properties can happen in everyday life. Loss can make us realize how much we have gained or death can make us learn how to live.  

The photographic processes chosen mimic the dichotomy of the objects. The complex and precious palladium print blends with the simple and bold cyanotype. The opaque objects are photographed using a 4x5 large format camera. The 4x5 negatives are then printed in the palladium process. A cyanotype photogram of a translucent object is then printed on top of the palladium print. The final prints are 4x5 inches.

The Forgotten Land of North Guilford

This series of images focuses on the landscapes of north Guilford.  Guilford, CT, a shoreline town, is known for its historical homes on the beautiful Green, the picturesque Grass Island and the water of the Long Island Sound.   There is another aspect to Guilford which is the subtle beauty of the land of “North Guilford,” the land north of route 80. It is not as dramatic as a sunset on Faulkner Island but there is a magical allure to land itself.  The light shining on an ancient silver maple, a rock wall with growing moss or the fog over a swamp are enchanting yet simple. This series celebrates the striking beauty that can be found in the land north of the sea. 

The photographs are taken using a 4x5 inch large format camera and printed in the platinum palladium process.  The images are printed in precious metals which further emphasizes the innate value of this beautiful land. The small size forces the viewer to look closely at these intimate spaces.  The final photographs are 4x5 inches.