Back in the 1980’s, when I began working more in earnest I was passionate about making photographs.  I did a lot of editorial work, but it was fashion and portraiture, using a 120 Rolliflex camera, that I found more exciting. Composition, light, the high quality of the lens along with the larger format negative, then the darkroom processes, all this was seductive and pleasing and drove me to want to make images.  However my real interest quickly became; how could I stretch the way photographs were looked at.  Even when a series of pictures was shown the emphasis was still on each single image, albeit often put together to illustrate a story. I was interested in challenging that way of viewing.  Part of this was an attention to how I might draw viewers (ideally uninterested viewers) into the issues that I was concerned about.  I started to experiment with using multiple images and sculpture.  This showed potential and I had a few shows etc but life got in the way, making art, especially using photographs was no way to make a living and other work took over.  Family followed and the years rolled by. 

Now I am of an age, and we are in the Covid lockdown era, so it feels like both a strange time and a perfect time to move away from the socially engaged, my more dedicated practice as an artist, to the more solitary pursuit of fine art production, although this still often get sidelined when more important work comes along!   

So I have thousands of pictures, not even including my analogue archive, and some kind of archivist in me feels duty bound to do something with them, whilst the artist in me has ideas that want to once again challenge this ‘good photo, decisive moment’ that still seems to prevail over 40 years later.

So what am I interested in?  Too much probably!

I am interested in

• How can the way photographs are presented affect what we notice and think about.

• How do editing choices convey different meanings.

• What is a photograph capable of revealing that the human eye doesn’t see?

• What can happen in a short period of time. How much interaction and movement takes place in a short space of time.That kind of thing, it goes along with my interest in elements of life we take for granted, don’t bother to acknowledge, don’t bother to challenge our thoughts with.

• How does presenting multiple images convey ideas in a way that a single image does not.

• The photographers dance when shooting, I have been to so many events that I have only witnessed through a lens, I am there, often front and centre, but I am not really THERE.

• Where does being a photographer take us. What worlds, houses, people we come into contact with that we normally would not.What are we privy to, what do we witness.

• Why do I constantly take pictures as if my minds eye is never enough.

• How can I make use of the material I have amassed over the years to work on these questions.

• How can I make digital technology work for me to explore my ideas and make use of my archive.

I am at the beginning of this new(ish) quest, I’m putting it out there and determining not to worry about how I am perceived.  I am at an age where I care less and less.  It interests me, I hope it might interest others.  Some older work can be seen here, this website hasn't been touched for years but if you get that far then you will see some developments on this site making use of work represented on that site, (I have reused my old self portrait too). My socially engaged work can be seen here.  If you google my name, DW stands for Deborah Weinreb, you will probably see my professional photography site that existed in order to try and make a crust, I would take it down but it is my oldest website and the only one I pay for and I keep it solely for the reason that it will be found by google quickly and easily.  

Why don't I just use my name? Because all sorts of assumptions are subconsciously made when a person reads a name.  I prefer that those assumptions are kept to a minimum.