|
Light in the Forest ... gives form to her creative path. Henrieke I. Strecker has chosen the clarity of living simply to guide her artistic pursuits. A native of Freiburg, and former long-time resident of Frankfurt, Ms. Strecker has lived and worked in the midst of a nature preserve in Westerwald, Germany for the past three years. Within the tranquility of these surroundings, she has created a series of photographs and solar photogravures which use the forest as a reflective muse. "The quest for simplicity of materials and purpose in action presents the greatest challenge for direct expression," Ms. Strecker states. Utilizing both primitive and digital cameras, Ms. Strecker has scaled back her creative tools to essential proportions, within the historic lineage of printmaking and nineteenth century iron-salt photography. Yet, while her images appear quietly elemental in form, Ms. Strecker's content is deeply suggestive, magical, and enchanting. In her "Snow Poem" series, twigs, grasses, and receding snow combine to create anthropromorphic features, poetically leading the viewer to imagine a kneeling geisha, a winged nymph, or perhaps an aged man with a crooked walking staff. At times, Ms. Strecker's photographs carry the sparse density of Japanese haiku, where silence is as resonant as sound, and space is critical to form. Our understanding of her work is rooted in a collective experience of the frailties and strengths of humanity. Ms. Strecker's minimalist photographs offer a respite of peace and Zen acceptance in a world of challenge and hyper-information. These intimate images whisper to us in a world that often shouts. Building upon the painterly tradition of early pictorialism, they also are enriched with a distinctly contemporary, psychological depth. Henrieke Strecker invites us ever closer to listen, and asks of us to interpret and complete her abstract offerings within the grit and context of our own unfolding history. Franz C. Nicolay |