While our gallery’s doors are closed temporarily due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Catherine Couturier Gallery is pleased to announce a blog series entitled Safe in the Studio featuring a new gallery artist each week. Our artists will share behind-the-scenes information about specific pieces and offer insight into their artist practice. With each blog post, three works will be highlighted and discounted 20% for one week following the post’s publishing date.
Last week, Catherine Couturier Gallery featured gallery artist, Patty Carroll. This week, the gallery is pleased to present the following post by gallery artist Jennifer Schlesinger:
We were on my daughter's spring break in March visiting New York City with my family and finally hitting up Hamilton when Covid-19 was on the brink of shutting everything down. In fact, just two days after we saw the show, Broadway closed. We cut our trip short and headed back to New Mexico. That was the last time we really saw anyone, as we came back and have been isolated since - going on our 7th week now.
Utopia 1, 2013
For the past three years I have been quite consumed with running my photography gallery and less focused on my own work. Since the quarantine began, however, I have had a good chance to go through my own work, organize, and even sign and edition prints that I have been meaning to do for years! Also, I have finally found time to learn and become comfortable using a new camera I purchased a few months ago.
Last year was a very tough one for us, as I had knee surgery and my partner was diagnosed with cancer. When we wrapped up 2019, we went into recovery mode. At the start of 2020, I hung some blank Tibetan prayer flags outside our window as a reminder to keep our good wishes and manifest healing and good health. Last fall I intentionally bought those flags so I could use them for my next photography project after the winter had weathered them just perfectly. And now, they are almost ripe to begin my new project. While I do not have that work to show as it is still in progress, I am sharing three of my favorite previous pieces.
Utopia 5, 2013
The first two are from my albumen series, Utopia. These works seem like the perfect contemplation for these trying times as they are my response to the philosophical question of whether a perfect society can exist, bringing together life's dualities into a perfect union of beauty and imperfection.
Eridanus
The last image included here is from my most recent series, Vignettes: Tales from the Above. This work was really fun for me. I used accurate star constellations and composited them with my photographs to create visual narratives for the stories and myths of the night sky. I turned these compositions into film which I then printed in the darkroom resulting in small, intimate gelatin silver prints.
To learn more about Jennifer Schlesinger and see more of her work, please visit her Artist Page.
The following three pieces are available to purchase with a 20% discount in each size for the next week. The discount will no longer be applicable on orders made after Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 11:59PM.
Utopia 1, 2013
Albumen print
6 x 8 inches, edition of 9: $1,120 ($1,400)
Utopia 5, 2013
Albumen print
6 x 8 inches, edition of 9: $1,120 ($1,400)
Eridanus
toned silver gelatin print
7 x 9 inches, edition of 9: $800 ($1,000)
For purchases or further inquiries, please email us at
gallery@catherinecouturier.com.