Jennifer Trausch’s 20×24 Images from the South at Jodi Arnold, 56 University Place, NYC through December 13th 212-997-2329

LutherMaxine Thomaston
Jodi Arnold“Wilson’s Night Spot” is a loose narrative exploring the nature of the American South, composed as a series of intimate portraits of everyday life. It contains work from four trips taken over three years, spent wandering instinctively through the small towns of the South. Jennifer spent most of these trips utterly lost, albeit intentionally so, freed to work off impressions and immersion, responding to the subtle details found in each place.

In order to facilitate the search for open and intimate narrative pictures in these locales, Jennifer used the 20×24 Polaroid Camera producing instant 20” x 24” prints as her guide. Jennifer’s compositions are far from passive as all have a textural sobriety that is introspective yet engaging.  The absence of distinct references of time and unique perspectives, frees up viewer interpretation.
“I chose an atypical way of working with the 20 x 24, eschewing control and extreme detail for highly selective focus and long exposures that are loose and gestural. As the project progressed, the images took on more and more of the dark, surreal nature of the South, both wondrous and strange. My survey is a slow, steady discovery of this feeling, experienced and articulated through all of the palpable sensations surrounding it.”
– Jennifer Trausch (2009)