In this blog post, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a talented photographer : Claire Rosen, she is an award-winning artist, whose work resonates with a profound sense of artistry and storytelling.
How did your upbringing affect you and your creativity?
My creativity has its roots in my earliest childhood and the way my mother and father raised my three younger sisters and me. My created the enabling environment that nurtured and expanded my imagination. We would spend hours at the Museum of Natural History and Metropolitan Museum of Art, celebrate Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter with tea parties, spend evening hours reading well worn Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and go to horticulture sketching classes in a local victorian-era glass greenhouse. My father instilled an appreciation for the classics and an interest in philosophy, his analytical mind always focused on perfecting what he set to undertake, modeling a strong work ethic and high standards for quality. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I was building an interior vocabulary from these childhood experiences filled with surprise and delight, that later would become the language of my artistic practice. I will be eternally grateful for the gift and privilege of that childhood.
Tell us about your first introduction to photography, What drew you into this world?
I found photography in my early years at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Photography gave me a voice and outlet for expression beyond what I found in other mediums.
What does photography mean to you?
The pursuit of art provides a path to a life enriched with unique personal experiences. For me, a life in photography has offered the opportunity to constantly learn, meet and connect with interesting people, and explore fascinating places near and far. The process of making my hidden, interior life visible is therapeutic as I engage in a psychological examination of different concepts. Making pictures allows me to explore the world, work out how I feel about it, and find my place within it. Beyond personal experience, I hope to affect viewers – to capture someone else’s imagination and provide an escape from the everyday world—even if momentarily. I hope to create images that are a window to a whimsical place where anything is possible.
What 3 words describe your photography style?
Whimsical, Fantastical, Abundant
How do you prepare for your projects? Do you picture beforehand in your mind the images you take?
When preparing for a project I gather inspiration and create extensive mood boards, mind maps, and sketches followed by research and a production plan. I have outlined my whole workflow in my book, Imaginarium; The Process Behind the Photos.
