"Transformative Landscapes" Exhibition at Art Works Downtown Gallery, San Rafael, CA
Artist Statement
As a lens-based artist, my goal is to present the wonders of the world around us as a sanctuary to be contemplated, honored, and preserved. I am intrigued by the fundamental structures of nature and the way the elements - Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Gravity, Light, Space, and Time - imprint our world with their magic.
My introduction to fine art photography was through the work of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Minor White. I immediately resonated with their portrayal of nature and landscape. However, I was first influenced artistically by painters. I admired the ability of impressionists to render the feeling and experience of a scene, rather than simply an accurate depiction of it. The abstract expressionists have also been a creative influence, with their move away from realism in art.
With the devastating impacts of climate change, I have come to feel nostalgic about the natural world, even as I am photographing it. Images in my "Mindful Reminiscence" series take on a vintage appearance with a dreamy, timeless quality that also carries hope for nature’s resilience. The hand-folded, scorched, and stitched prints in the "Folding and Mending" portfolio are a way of expressing "the world folding in on itself" from the impacts of climate change and our need to restore and repair the damage we have done.
The exploration of nature on all levels is at the heart of my photography. I can’t think of better words to describe it than these by John Muir, “The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.”
Photo: Self-Portrait with Hat, Metal Plate Transfer
Biography
While growing up in western Pennsylvania, Debra Achen developed a passion for art and a connection to nature. She majored in Art Education at Edinboro State University before completing her BA in Visual Arts at the University of California, San Diego. She studied a variety of studio arts, including drawing, painting, and printmaking in addition to film and darkroom photography. Achen continues to attend photographic workshops and lectures, engaging with both technical and creative innovations in the field. She lives on the scenic central coast of California where she finds inspiration for her nature-based work.
Achen’s photographs have been featured in exhibitions throughout the US and Europe including curated exhibitions at Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, OR, The Photographers’ Eye Gallery in Escondido, CA, ArtWorks Downtown in San Rafael, CA, and at the Center for Photographic Art where she was awarded the 2024 Artist Grant for Landscape Photography. Her “Folding and Mending” series was selected for the prestigious Photolucida Critical Mass Top 50 in 2022 and her award-winning self-published book, “Frequency Shift: The Stonehenge Continuum” was included in the 12th Annual Photobook Show at the Griffin Museum of Photography. Her work can be found in a number of private and corporate collections. View detailed exhibition history in CV.