SarahAbramson

 SarahAbramson

This Saturday, Hellada Gallery in Downtown Long Beach is presenting Boobs & Bones, an art show by photographer Sarah Elise Abramson. This series of images is the result of a two year effort in which she playfully explored the relationship between youth and death. All of the images were created using a Polaroid Land Camera.

Abramson’s love of photography began early in her life. At the age of 11, her mother took her to a class.

“It was me in a class of about 20 middle aged men and women. The teacher really pushed me. He obviously saw something in me. I actually remember, during a critique, he announced to the class that my pictures had come out the best! He definitely gave me a lot of positive reinforcement, and my Mom and Dad have always been very supportive of my photography. I don’t think those pictures are very good but, to this day, my parents still have all my early pictures up on their walls.

“I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve always had an eye for good composition though, no matter what the subject is. I’m not super big on all the technical aspects of photography. Going to Brooks Institute of photography, they ingrain all that stuff into you’re head. I don’t believe that is what makes a good picture or a good photographer. Like most things in life, the simpler the better.”

While she’s not averse to exploiting the benefits of digital photography, Sarah found the simplicity of the Polaroid particularly appealing.

“There is a wheel on my SX-70 to lighten and darken, and sometimes I’ll use a filter over the lens, but that’s as much control as I have. My best friend in college gave me my first SX-70 as a birthday present, but I had been shooting Polaroids for a few years before that.”

Abramson immediately recognized that the Polaroid process could be a significant medium for her.

“You know when you are good at something, and you know what looks good. I knew both these very early on. Plus, I am the type of person to lose interest in something pretty fast if I feel I’m not very good at it. [laughs] There is just something that has always drawn me to watching the images develop before my eyes, weather in the dark room or on a Polaroid. It’s magic! And when you have teachers and peers telling you that your images are amazing, throughout all the many many photo classes I’ve taken, It makes you want to keep creating.”

Abramson became inspired when she heard an interesting scientific fact.

“I had heard that the same exact chemical gets released in your body when you are born, when you orgasm, and when you die. I also started thinking a lot about aging, and how our bodies start out all young and nice and then we inevitable get old, decay, and die.

“Also, keeping that concept in mind, I just naturally shoot what looks good to me. I get ideas in the middle of the night, wake up, and write them down. Or I’ll be watching a movie and see something visually appealing and then turn it into my own idea.

sarahelise3-sm“I shoot what I would want to see up in a gallery or a magazine, and I use my friends as models because they are the prettiest people I know, inside and out. I think it takes an array of elements, coming together at the exact right moment, to create an amazing photograph. That’s just what happens when I shoot Boobs & Bones. After a shoot I usually turn to the model or my stylist and exclaim, ‘Photo magic just happened!’ [laughs]”

There was a time when any depiction of the female nude form was politicized because of concerns about objectification, but Abramson was unconcerned about this.

“I am a firm believer that all women are beautiful and should think they’re beautiful. A woman’s body, no matter what shape or size, is a precious thing. Our bodies create life! I never feel like I’m objectifying women in my art but, rather, celebrating them. Also, of the 50 something girls I have shot, not one of them felt uncomfortable. Even the shy ones, by the end of the shoot, usually say the experience was so much fun and felt quite liberating!

“I am immensely proud of each and every one of the photos going up in the show. I feel like I have put so much of myself into this project, and it really shows. I’m anticipating a big turn out. I’m lucky to have so many friends and family members that are so supportive of my passion. I’m just really excited to show everyone what I’ve been doing for the past few years! [laughs] All I can hope for is that one picture touches one person, makes one person feel something, anything. That’s what I want.”

The opening reception for Boobs & Bones is taking place tomorrow, Saturday June 8, from 6PM to 10 PM. Hellada Gallery is located at 117 Linden Avenue.  

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