INVISIBLE LIGHT –
” ‘Innocence’ is a word often misunderstood. It does not mean ‘without guilt’ but rather a freedom and a total openness to life. a complete lack of fear comes through a total faith in living and in your own instinctive self. Innocence does not mean ‘asexual’ as some people think. It is sexuality expressed without fear, without guilt, without connivance and dishonesty. It is sexuality expressed spontaneously and freely, as the expression of love and the ecstasy of life. ”
- A Book of Tarot by Rachel Pollack
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Brandy Eve Allen_Question/Answers
When did you take up photography? What age/ year?
I’ve been making art since I was a little girl but it wasn’t until I was about 18 that I started to take photography seriously.
Why photography? What inspired you to pursue the medium instead of any other art form?
Photography was the medium that I found most easily interpreted what goes on in my head and heart to the page. It’s not just the creative and artistic aspect that interests me, but also the scientific element as well, the process of developing and printing, manipulating light and time, having so many possibilities available.
Where did you study?
I’m self-taught… a quick learner so I like to study things on my own. I learn mostly from traveling, going to see exhibits, reading… If I want to know how to do something, I usually go to the library, look it up, and do it.
What subject do you enjoy photographing? Why?
I like to shoot people, mostly people I know or have some sort of connection with, whether it be transient or something more defined. The photographs are more about showing what a person or a moment feels like, rather than what it looks like. There’s a quote that I like by Gertrude Stein, “They were painting what they knew was there, not what they could see”.
Do you have a specific style in your photographs?
I think the style is intuitive, I’m always looking to be inspired by something new or something from the past, the 1920’s do it for me, erotica, vintage lingerie… but most of all, my best photos are those that capture a real genuine moment, something timeless, something effortless.
Has the industry’s switch to digital altered your work or your perception of photography?
Maybe the rise in digital photography has pushed me that much further into shooting film, always going against the grain, something about the rebel in me, but also the traditionalist in me rather, holding onto something organic and pure. In a world where immediate gratification is so prevalent, I enjoy the patience that film requires, the relationship that I get to have with the process is deepened.
What photographer/ particular photograph do you remember influencing you/ your work?
When I started taking photos, a good friend who prints for many famous photographers said I should keep going with it and began giving me books by photographers such as Francesca Woodman, Nan Goldin, Sally Mann- All female photographers, regardless of what they where shooting, I felt like I got to know the artist behind each shot. They let me into their world and my eyes were wide open, I got to see a new sense of human nature and took every image in, it stayed inside me and those are the types of photographs that I want to make for others to take away and stay within them…
Who have you worked/ studied with? Any notable influential figures? Why?
Photographing the poster for the movie “THE DREAMERS” is a favorite memory for me. It was inspiring to be apart of the atmosphere that Bernardo Bertolucci creates and to experience his way of film making, which has a real sense of intimacy that I was able to use in my photographs for the job. I was just 22 years old at the time and I not only took away great photos, but an experience I’ll always remember.
What is the most enjoyable shoot you have been on? Why?
The most enjoyable shoots are when it’s just me and the person I’m shooting, either in a genuine moment just being in life, or going out to find some fantastic location that yields magical after magical moments… That end up looking even more magical when developed.
What are you next steps towards furthering you career? Shoots? Projects?
I’m participating in group shows around Los Angeles with a solo show going on right now in Torino, Italy at Paolo Tonin Arte Contemporanea. A limited edition copy of CIAO LA has recently become available for sale through the gallery while I continue looking for an international publisher for the photographic memoir of the time I spent living in Italy when I was 21 to 24 years old.
I’m always on the grind in some way to make things happen, but the most important thing for me is to stay inspired and creating. I’m finishing one series of photographs and about to start a new one, while always shooting in the mean time….
Where do you see your photography going? Do you see developing/evolving in any particular direction? Why?
As much as I hope to continue to evolve, I’m hoping that the photographic art world is going to evolve and hopefully I’ll be staying true to myself and what I’m doing will be what people respond to. Creating the work has a very special purpose for me in my life, but sharing it so that others have a chance to connect with a piece is really valuable to me. I’m hoping that more people start connecting with art on a more emotional level rather than being overly intellectual… Like you’re listening to a song- It makes you feel something, brings back a memory, inspires you… You don’t need to know where the singer took his words from, the song becomes yours and that’s what I want my photography to do.
