/Suzanne Gainer
@suzannegainerstudio
Suzanne Gainer
Wake
Inspired by: Kenro Izu, Blue #1010B Kenji Nakahashi, A Cut in the Sky
Fujiflex print on aluminum composite
20″ x 8.75″
2023
Wake is a response to both the subject matter and formal approach of Kenro Izo’s ‘Blue 1010B’, and Kenji Nakahashi’s ‘A Cut in the Sky’. In ‘Blue 1010B’ the nude is reduced to line and shape, allowing the viewer to gaze upon the the woman’s body, but not engage with her identity. In ‘A Cut in the Sky’, Nakahashi turns his gaze upward to frame a confined expanse. In contrast, the body in my photographic diptych is my own, creating a complicated narrative. The opposite panel connects the form with a fleeting contrail line ‘cut in the sky.’
@suzannegainerstudio
Suzanne Gainer
Woman Who Once Had Wings: Diptych #3
composite digital photograph (archival inkjet print)
10″ x 19″
2023
This piece is part of a larger series titled “Woman Who Once Had Wings.” It speaks to sexual vulnerability, and the desire to break free of cultural and societal norms. Here, I have attached a large feather to a wall with Band-aid, and juxtaposed it with claw-like jet trails in the sky. In several images of the series, I use my own body as the subject. Like many women, I have experienced the joys and power of my body, but also harmful sexual advances, harassment, and abuse. This work represents a reckoning and a reinvention of the self.
Instagram: @suzannegainerstudio
Suzanne Gainer
Chat de Chefchaouen
archival ink jet print
9.625″ x 7.5″
2023
Chefchaouen, nicknamed ‘The Blue City’ is a town in northwest Morocco known for its blue painted buildings. I travelled there in March, 2023 and fell in love with the endless photographic possibilities. Narrow cobblestone streets, ornate doors, figs and olives, the sounds of Arabic, Berber, French, and everything awash in shades of blue. This photograph depicts one of a myriad of cats roaming the streets against a carefully composed geometric background.
@suzannegainerstudio
