Lisa Vollmer home
INFORMATION

CONTACT

SITE DESIGN & HOSTING

EDUCATION

2000 – 2002
  • Master of Arts
  • Institut fuer Kunst im Kontext
  • The Universitaet der Kuenste Berlin, Germany
1995 – 1998
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts
  • Photography & Multimedia
  • The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
1994 – 1995
  • Art Foundation
  • Syracuse University, NY
1993 – 1994
  • Study Abroad, Macerata, Italy
  • Art History
  • Washington University

ARTIST STATEMENT



Stereotypes of nationality, gender, race and religion are the key themes of my work. People inspire me and I plan to continue to create portraits of people in many landscapes around the world, for as a photographer my mission is to create compelling imagery.

Whether I am photographing an LDS elder in his suit in Moab, Utah, an Indian in a Shiva costume in an Indian Village, or a catholic nun in her habit in a nearby monastery, it fulfills a deep desire in me to discover the world one person at a time.

SELF-PORTRAITS



The self-portraits are from a series of photographs dealing with stereotypes of nationality. I began this work 10 years ago. Looking back on these images, I realize their importance in relationship to my current work. The costuming and make-up are not to convince the viewer that I am indeed one nationality or the other, but to question the stereotypes that exist. The costumes are simple, often mere pieces of fabric from my closet. I choose to photograph myself using a medium format camera and passport harsh lighting.

MY GOD



"My God" is work from the past 3 years. I seek out people who identify themselves with organized religion, and by doing so are in a sense representative of a larger group of people. Though I consider myself non-denominational, my desire to explore religious organizations strengthened as I learned more about each person I photographed.

A distinctive set of garments such as a black and white suit with a nametag, or a nun's habit is the first clue to the greater picture. I select the landscape, which acts as the physical world that we find ourselves in, and present my subject with an idea for creating an image. The portraits are deliberate and posed. I used a medium format camera with a flash to separate the subject from the background. I traveled throughout this country photographing the LDS Mormon Elders and Sisters.

INDIA



"India" is a series of portraits taken both on the East and West coast of southern India. People dress to represent the Hindu Gods, parading the streets in color at the Shigmo Festival in Goa India, also known as the Color Festival and the Celebration of Spring. I used a digital camera to share my images with the people who typically had never seen a still image of themselves before.

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