New Bradley Gallery exhibit features photography
The photography of Wisconsin photographer Cindy Hansen will be the subject of the next exhibition at Lakeland University’s Bradley Gallery.
“View From Within” opens Friday, February 2, with a reception featuring Hansen from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. The show will be on display through March 1.
Hansen has been honing her skills in staged self-portrait photography since 2018. Originally inspired by the work of Cindy Sherman, she has developed a unique style that involves the details of the scene as much as the central character. Self-taught, Hansen works alone doing all the costuming, makeup and staging, as well as all post-production work.
“The work in this exhibition encompasses four years of learning to use the camera as a speaking tool through staged self-portrait photography,” Hansen said. “While educating myself on the workings of the camera and photographic techniques, I used my vivid imagination to set up scenes for practice shots.”
Hansen said she played with costumes, make-up and set design, and pulled out random props from storage boxes, borrowed from friends and shopped at Goodwill or the Dollar Store.
“Through the camera I discovered a platform for expressing my opinions, values, sense of humor, view of the world and my commentary on how beautiful, heartbreaking or absurd life can be,” she said. “As my skills have increased, so has my ability to express the more complicated scenes that my brain dreams up.”
Hansen said she composed surrealistic images in 2021.
“If I can imagine it, I can create it,” she said. “Staging myself as the subject rather than hiring a model makes this process very personal. My body, my voice. Welcome to the view from within my mind.”
Hansen’s work has been part of numerous exhibitions primarily throughout the Midwest since 2020. This will be her first solo exhibition.
Learn more about Hansen at her website: cindyhansen.photoshelter.com.
