I wanted to transform the viewer from a world of sometimes harsh reality to that which is magical and happy. Bert once told me that he started photography in photo journalism, but after developing the pictures in his dark room, he felt so sad, he tore them all up. He wanted to create images that made people smile.
He wanted to create magic.
Here’s a quote from the documentary, Bert Stern Original Madman
“I fell in love with everything I photographed. I had to photograph my desires. My loves. And it’s like taking a picture.
You could just do anything because it’s magical.” - Bert Stern
Bloom is the life force that lives on forever through Bert’s iconic images; that which blossoms through light, color, beauty, fire & rebirth.
~Shannah Laumeister Stern
In my last show at Keyes gallery I exhibited abstract ceramic sculptures resembling sea urchins. Using a similar format I was able to experiment with many different types of glazes and firing.
In this show I have been working more with the idea of communities.
We all have various communities in our life starting with the family unit.
~ Hilary Helfant