Artist Statement
“My artwork explores the human experience, focusing on raising social awareness on current and past topics. The foundation of my inspiration stems from the spiritual and personal stories of the people around me.
Photography is my choice of medium. Manipulated light against human expression, surrounding the environment, either to compliment or to cause conflict to the composition, sets the stage for exploration of something meaningful to me or to the person viewing the work, and brings a sense of intimacy to my photograph. I work predominantly within a photographic series because I believe that to feel and engage with the work, there must be progression and a documentary approach to the subject matter. Each photograph stimulates the next, creating a story to which we can relate. Each series begins with extensive research; a standard process in my work. I use my research and seek personal testimonies from my own experiences and from others around me. This is a significant part of my work because to develop the concept, the ideas and material I gather must support and inspire my work. The subject matter, essentially, must become personal to each model, allowing me to connect with them below the surface, and the depth of reality shows in the finished art. I want my photographs to reveal that although we do not all share the same experiences; we are still universally connected through each human emotion.”
About Geraldine Rodriguez
Born in the Philippines and living in Germany, Nigeria, and the Caribbean gave Geraldine Rodriguez diverse exposure to rich cultures at an early age. These life experiences influence Geraldine to probe into the personal relationship of what people imagine, therefore the subject matter of her work focuses on the reflections of the self within the family and social dynamic. Geraldine started her career in art focusing on painting the relationships people have with themselves and others. As she grew as an artist, her passion for photography emerged. Her goal has always been to capture the pure essence of “self” in situations or circumstances that are not usually exposed. Her subjects tend to be average to the normal eye but once photographed in their purest emotional state, her subjects can evoke a thought or emotion that is personal yet easily identifiable to everyone. Geraldine wants her body of work to uncover the fact that we all may not have the same experiences in life, but we all experience the same emotions. Her work reflects what many choose not to expose…themselves. Geraldine Rodriguez believes in taking risks with her work to communicate her message and tends to break away from traditional techniques to ensure the message is conveyed. Geraldine hopes that her work will evoke self-reflection and encourage emotional, mental, and spiritual growth among many people, leaving us with the message that we are not alone.
