Category: Publications

Plethora Magazine, Issue #7- Automation

Posted on by Connie

Plethora Magazine, based out of Copenhagen, Denmark, is a biannual publication that produces what one would consider more to be curated selections of fine art reproductions than a conventional magazine. The final format is a substantial 70x50cm (about 27.5 x 20″) portfolio of stunning prints, every issue being a beautiful work of art in and of itself. The production of each is just as remarkable, bordering on theatrical:

“Skillfully printed by the monks of a Hindu temple, Plethora Magazine pays homage to the unique qualities of artisanal printing tradition and offers a purist vision for the future expression of the printed magazine – along with a quiet ode to all things left behind by fast track digitization. No noise, no ads and no logos, just 52 pages of poster-size visual indulgence and tales from the life less ordinary presented in a careful blend of quirky archive material, wondrous art prints and contemporary artist features.” (– from the website)

I am truly honored to be featured in Plethora’s impressive Issue #7, curated around the theme of “Automation”. Completely relevant to so many of my latest mirror work images, the collection in this issue deals with fragmentation of the human body image, notions of a mechanized humanity, and investigates the once-sci-fi-but-now-very-real potential of artificial consciousness.

I love the images selected to be featured in this context by the magazine, and the finished product is simply stunning. Please be sure to check them out at their website, and/or find them on the Facebook here!

Baltimore Magazine, February 2017

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As the exhibition at Y:ART approached, press and publicity was building and we seemed to be getting a lot of great media coverage. I was thrilled with so much of the attention we received in print, online, and even on public broadcast through MPT, all of which generated a lot of interest and attendance at the gallery. Perhaps the most thorough feature however came after the show had come off the walls…

When I was approached by Gabriella Souza of Baltimore Magazine, I expected an interview like most others, with all of the usual questions and answers. Gabriella’s approach, however, was anything but typical.

Gabriella was already familiar with my work before coming by for what would turn out to be only the initial studio visit. Her questions were not only in-depth, but had me thinking about my work and articulating my process to her in a way that only happens with people who have a genuine interest in the work and respond to it in very special, personal ways. Our conversations were instantly intriguing for both of us, and I looked forward to every one. Gabriella kept in touch throughout the process of organizing and arranging the exhibition, even visiting the gallery while we sequenced and hung the work. I loved sharing this part of the creative process with her while discussing the creation of the work itself.

I LOVE how the article came out!!!  Gabriella’s writing is wonderful, and I was very impressed with how she managed to weave so many different elements into one piece. I also love the layout- I think it is graphically well done, the font they used for the title is very cool, and I’m very happy with the images they chose to include. I’m also thrilled with the portraits shot specifically for the piece. My longtime assistant, student,  and dear friend Cory Donovan is a frequent contributor to Baltimore Magazine, and it was fitting that they gave him the assignment to photograph me for the article. Cory coordinated with the magazine’s art director Amanda White-Iseli and myself to come up with some very cool ideas for how to approach the shoot, and I think it all paid off in the end. They featured him on the “Contributor Page” (see below) for the piece, with a little blurb about the images:

“I wanted the materials she works with to become visual elements that echoed those of her mirror work”, he says. “She sits in front of the large mirror she photographs into, and you can see various details of the studio surrounding her”.

I can’t say enough about this article- all things considered, I believe it is the best written about me and my work ever. It is thorough, thoughtful, and beautifully produced. Gabriella manages to talk about a lot of deep topics in a way that is accessible, and Cory’s portraits were instantly personal favorites. I’m attaching images of how the article looks in the print version, but I highly recommend heading over to BaltimoreMagazine.net, where you can read it in it’s entirety AND see bonus material from an actual shoot!

 

“Conversations” with Bmore Art

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BmoreArt Conversations

BmoreArt, the award-winning Baltimore online journal, has done a wonderful job documenting the art community and evolved to engage a broad local and global audience.

As Baltimore’s cultural scene has grown and gained momentum, they launched a podcast series in 2015 to dive further into the arts community. “Conversations” brings insightful and in depth audio interviews with local artists and creative leaders to their already extensive coverage. Every episode has a corresponding blog post on the Conversations page of the BmoreArt website, adding visual content that fleshes out each installment and offers an even deeper look into each interview.

To coincide with the retrospective exhibition at Y:ART Gallery, I was honored to be interviewed by Liz Donadio for Episode 15 of the series, which just launched today. Liz’s questions allowed us to explore all of my favorite topics on the creative process, including intuition, mythology, discovery, and deeper connections to one another through the power of art. We also discussed my work with the William G Baker Jr. Memorial Fund, the Baker Artist Awards, and the amazing arts community we have here in Baltimore.

You can find the podcast series on Soundcloud here, although I highly recommend checking it out on the BmoreArt website for all the supplementary content, including some of the images highlighted in the exhibition and photos from the opening. There’s even some early snapshots of yours truly, featuring me at 5 with my favorite toolbelt and traveling to Europe with my very first camera.

Thank you to Liz and BmoreArt for a wonderful interview, and keep up the great work!

Book Sale!

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We’re cleaning out!

In an attempt to clean out the studio, from now through the holidays I have a selection of books on sale:

Reflections: 25 Years of Photography by Connie Imboden

This is my latest monograph, featuring 150 images that represent some of my favorite discoveries throughout the years, including some never before published black and white images and a selection of the early color work. Putting this book together drew connections between some of the threads that have come up throughout my work from the beginning, and revealed new meaning and metaphors in both old and recent photographs. The reproductions are beautiful, and the essays by A.D. Coleman, Arthur Ollman, and John Wood are eloquent. Hardcover, published by Insight Editions.

Original Price: $50
SALE PRICE: $30

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LIMITED EDITION:

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The limited edition of Reflections comes in a clamshell box and includes a signed and editioned print of Untitled #7146, approx. 9″x12″.  The original price for Reflections L.E. is $500, but is now available for $200.

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Connie Imboden: Beauty of Darkness
Beauty of Darkness is one of the more popular books I’ve published, including stunning reproductions of images from 1986 – 1998, and poetic essays by A.D. Coleman and Arthur Ollman. I was on press in Verona, Italy to approve each plate produced by Stamperia Valdonega to ensure the highest quality printing. The cloth cover is gorgeous, with a tipped in plate of Untitled #4442, and is protected by a beautifully smooth dust jacket. Hardcover, published by Custom and Limited Editions.

Original Price: $65
SALE PRICE: $30

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LIMITED EDITION:

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There is also a limited edition of Beauty of Darkness available, although I only have a handful left. This one comes in a very nice hard clothbound case,  and includes a signed and editioned print, approx. 9.5″x12.5″.  The original price forBeauty of Darkness L.E. is $600, but is now available for $200. The included print can be selected from Untitled #5802, Untitled #7402, or Untitled #7790. To purchase, click on your choice:

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Untitled #5802
*** SOLD OUT ***

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Untitled #7402
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Untitled #7790
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Out of Darkness

Although the regular edition is sold out, I have come across a couple remaining available limited editions of Out of Darkness. This very early monograph highlights my work from 1986 – 1991, including a few images that were never published before or after its publication, the reproductions of which are some of the best I’ve seen. Artfully published by Esther Woerderhoff and FotoFolie, it received a Silver Medal in Switzerland’s illustrious “Schönste Bücher aus aller Welt” (“Most Beautiful Book in the World”) Award in 1992.


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The remaining two limited edition copies of Out of Darkness are the last in a signed and numbered collector’s edition of only 150 books. It comes in a white, hard protective case, which has a separate section for the included signed and numbered print enclosed in a matching high quality folio. While this book is not on sale, there are only a couple copies left in the edition, available for $1000.

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The included print can be selected from Untitled #1894 or Fire. To purchase, click on your choice:

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The Stone Mag

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I was honored to have my work recently published in a new, cutting edge publication called The Stone. Designed by the creative team at Pil Associati, a communications agency based in Italy, The Stone explores the evolution and transformation between the intersections of art, communication, society, and technology.

I just received a copy of the inaugural issue, and it is stunning. The design is inventive and dynamic, and I was really impressed by the overall quality.

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As for the content, the work they’ve chosen to represent is evocative and exciting.  It seems to exhibit an awareness of global culture and visual awareness.  I was particularly impressed with their interview questions- they were intriguing, insightful, and made me really think about my responses:

TS:  Your shots transport us to a dimension in between the unconscious and the lucid dream. What do they want to show us? What other realities emerge?

CI:  Perhaps they depict that very transition from unconscious to awareness, from dream to awake, or from one dimension to another and anywhere in between. The realities that emerge may express experiences of the mind or of the psyche, revealing different levels of awareness and psychological states of being.

TS:  Mutation is the only constant reality. How has your art changed shape over time?

CI:  Over the years, I have found that whatever my approach to looking at the human form, it is all one body of work, and that each informs one another. I envision this as a spiral, continually going from water to mirrors to hot tub and back to water, and so on, with each cycle taking anywhere from 10-15 years to complete. Not only do these cycles include the situation, but patterns of visual deconstruction and reconstruction, as well as mythological and psychological issues. In revisiting the same place on the spiral years later, I see differently, elevated by previous approaches. I return to the same situation with new eyes and heightened awareness to nuances and subtleties that I could not have seen before. In addition, it’s not just my eyes that have evolved – I have changed as well. I’m a different person, having lived my life, experienced love, loss, death, and all the myriad experiences that impact a person’s perspective.

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Thanks again to Valentina Ottone, Federica Capparuccia, Chiara Castronovo and all the folks at Pil Associati collaborating on The Stone Mag for inviting me to contribute, and looking forward to seeing more!

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To check out the interview in its entirety, click below!!

Continue reading “The Stone Mag” →

Normal Magazine, Fall 2014

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NORMAL-FALL-2014-COVERThanks to Philippe Guedon and the folks over at Normal Magazine for sending me a copy of the Limited Edition Fall 2014 issue!  I’m very excited to be featured in such a beautiful publication!

 

Normal Magazine is a fairly new quarterly publication based out of Paris that is devoted to nude fine art photography.  From their website: “Normal makes you discover the intimacy of the greatest contemporary and new talent photographers, through its series of interviews, portfolios and exclusive art, and naked fashion, grouped in about 250 pages. Over the years we have acquired a privileged relationship with the most talented photographers. The team works closely with each photographer on the site, and most have become friends. Supporting quality art, Normal is a digital publication and is available in a limited edition in bookstores, museums and specialty stores.”  

I was immediately VERY impressed with the overall quality of Normal – it’s really more of a magazine book.  The content is very edgy and the reproductions are extremely high quality.  I love the images from my portfolio that they chose to feature – they’re a little edgier than what is normally selected for publication, and they look fantastic in the article.

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The piece, sub-titled “The Romantic Obscurantism” is well written, and is fairly deep for a short introduction to my work.  Translated from the article: “She finds her inspiration in the alchemy of water and light, reflection and the naked body submerged. Her images have the power to shock, surprise and push. It is metaphorical poetry through the body and face, an investigation into the human condition. There is a tragic and romantic quiet, reverent and ostentatious.”

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Hard copies of the limited edition issue are available to order here on the Normal website.  It appears that back issues are becoming available in digital format, and hopefully this edition will be as well at some point.  Will keep you posted…

Thanks again Philippe and Normal Magazine for an excellent piece and including me in your beautiful publication!

 

FOTO, October 2013

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After my lecture and exhibit in Norway for the Nordic Light International Festival of Photography, I was approached by a Swedish photography publication called FOTO.  My work was very well received at the festival, and the magazine wanted to highlight my work with a portfolio spread and article to be featured in the October 2013 issue.  I just received a copy of the issue in the mail recently, and it looks fantastic:

The reproductions in the article are not only extensive, but the quality is outstanding.  I was really impressed with how well both the black & white and color images printed.

The piece is called “Connie Imboden: Reflections of Man”, and opens with one of the more startling and daring images from my portfolio.  It also shows a picture of me in front of the pool, with an arrow pointing to “Den svartmålade poolen” (“The black-painted pool”):
The text reads: 
“Det finns en röd tråd i Connie Imbodens arbete.  Ett tema som föddes ur en stark rädsla för vatten i kombination med en fascination för människokroppen. Nu är rädslan försvunnen.  Och motivvärlden lever vidare.  Text och porträttfoto: Catarina Åström”
(There is a common thread in Connie Imboden’s work. One theme that was born from a strong fear of water, combined with a fascination for the human body. Now the fear is gone. And the design world lives on. Text and portrait photo: Catarina Åström)

The quote above the last page featuring Sainthood reads:  “Jag tror verkligen att fotografin räddade mitt liv.  Eller åtminstone gjorde att jag hittade något som hjälpte mig emotionellt.”
(“I truly believe that photography saved my life. Or at least that I found something that helped me emotionally.”)
Big thanks to the folks at FOTO, I’m honored to be included in your magazine!

HASTMAG

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Back in the Spring of 2012, I was honored to be featured in an Iranian Magazine called HASTMAG.   Dedicated to the field of photography, this small but beautifully done magazine promotes artists work and shares discussions with them through their website, http://www.hastmag.com.  

The amount of photographs they featured was staggering, covering pages 46-83, and highlighted both new color work and early black and white images.  The quality is excellent, and the interface is very nice.  

There are multiple options for viewing the magazine:
You can also check out their archives by going here:  http://www.hastmag.com/hastmag/archive.php

Georgia Review Summer 2010 GAMMA Awards

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Last summer, my work was featured in the Summer 2010 issue of The Georgia Review, and I was honored to have one of my images featured on the cover.  A highly regarded literary journal that features everything from short stories and essays to poems and visual art, it’s diverse content and outstanding quality has won The Georgia Review many awards throughout the years.

This month, the Magazine Association of the Southeast awarded The Georgia Review with seven GAMMA awards for 2010.  I was thrilled to hear that the Summer 2010 issue won a Silver Award for “Best Photography” in the General Excellence Category for my portfolio, entitled “Danse Macabre”.  The title was taken from a long poem inspired by my work written by Susan Ludvigson, who also wrote the introduction for the feature in the journal.  I couldn’t be happier with the introduction and how the whole piece looked in The Georgia Review, and I’m ecstatic about the Silver GAMMA Award!

For more about the seven awards given to The Georgia Review, click here to read about it on their blog.

 

Art New England Review

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Another excellent review! This is for the show at The University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor, ME. The show looks fantastic by the way and will be up through September 19, 2009. For more information on the show, click here.

I’m thrilled to receive this wonderful review from Carl Little in Art New England Magazine, featured in the August/September issue:

Elegant Darkness: Photographs by Connie Imboden

“Black-and-white, when its full potential is realized, renders all other colors unnecessary,” the painter Wolf Kahn one wrote about Emily Nelligan’s charcoal drawings, The same can be said of the photographs of Connie Imboden. While the Baltimore-based artist has explored color in her recent years, the twenty pieces in Elegant Darkness, dating from 1987 to 2005, offer a rich palette, with tones ranging from silvery white to pitch black.

Imboden’s stature as a world-class photographer is based on her compelling images of bodies transformed by water. Over the years she has explored the intersection of physical form and liquid medium. In her photographs, torsos, limbs, and visages stretch and twist into new configurations that are often gorgeous and frequently disturbing.

In a number of pieces, we witness Ovid-like metamorphoses. In Untitled 6243, for example, a male figure appears to be turning into (or emerging from) driftwood. At times, the makeover seems cruel: the face in Untitled 9053 undergoes a torturous rearrangement by way of a metal contraption right out of an S&M accessory catalogue. In each case, it is the H20 that creates the illusion.

The nineteen silver gelatin prints and one archival inkjet print in the exhibition bring to mind diverse artists and aesthetics. Earlier pieces, such as Sainthood and Visceral Thoughts (both 1987), might be stills from a Jean Cocteau film, where disembodied heads surreally float in a watery landscape. Just as we read labia in the folds of Georgia O’Keeffe’s flowers, so the viewer may connect the fleshy snail shape in Untitled 8067 to something sexual. The diving figure in Untitled 1721 recalls the paintings of Lorraine Shemesh, who shares Imboden’s fascination with the distortions that occur when a figure moves through water.

The exhibition was organized to mark the recent publication of Imboden’s Reflections: 25 Years of Photography (Insight Editons, 2009). A long-time professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art and the Maine Media Workshop, the artist has earned this retrospective treatment through a commitment to investigating the exquisite mysteries of the human form.


-Carl Little