Amanda James Photography

fragile chaos

2012-01-13T23:27:00.000-08:00

My current direction is in fine art conceptualphotography. I am transitioningbetween color and black and white, but have a love for both and what each ofthem has to offer. I have beenphotographing my Grandmother and her interior life for the past couple ofyears. I felt this necessity topreserve her and her possessions. I was interested in how she was going to be gone someday and all thatwould be left would be her things. There is also a permanence that is lacking, and I wanted to show that inmy photographs. Nothing ispermanent.

This series, FragileChaos, symbolizes life, death, fragility, vulnerability, and how thepresent becomes the past. I see Lifeand death as intertwined and connected. I didn’t want to portray death in a dark way. Instead, I wanted to elevate it and make it beautiful. I wanted to have the subject matter tobe precious and delicate while portraying this concept. Coming from a religious background, Idon’t see death despairingly. Mostof my work has a little hint of these things in the photographs.

2011-12-15T20:26:00.001-08:00

The Cusp of Reality

2011-11-09T21:55:00.001-08:00

In the series, The Cusp of Reality, my Grandmother’s memories are recreated intodreamlike realities. Thesereenactments identify fertility, femininity, beauty, and how they are lost withage. As my Grandmother tried onsome high-heeled shoes that she had not worn in several decades, her bad kneesand long toenails made it impossible for her to walk in shoes that had oncebeen a part of her life and identity.

These scenes were recreated to have a dreamlikecross between reality and imagination. When my Grandmother remembers her virgin wedding night, she is in herolder body inhibiting the space forcing her to face those feelings of anxietyand fear once again.

These memories represent universal moments inpeople lives such as fear, joy, pain, and happiness. All we truly have are our memories, which we recreate in ourminds into our own realities.

Trees

2011-09-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

CCNY

2011-09-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

I got a honorable mention at CCNY's recent juried competition

lulu

2010-11-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

hieroglyphics

2010-11-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

Some hieroglyphics I took when Cub and I were in Moab. I know it was a tourist trap, but I loved the little scribbles in the rock.

2010-11-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

File Magazine

2010-10-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

I had some photos featured in File Magazine online in February of 2010.

F Stop

2010-10-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

I was featured in a Group exhibit for F-Stop Photography Magazine. It was for Issue 40 April 2010/May 2010.

Interiors

2010-06-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

These are some interiors that I've been working on for a new series. There is something in the image that suggests that my Grandma's presence was there. They also define her old age, and show how her surroundings are reflecting her state of mind.

Humble Arts Foundation

2010-05-30T20:19:00.001-07:00

I'm in a group show that is going on right now at The Humble Arts Foundation. It's one of my favorite photography organizations, and is such an honor to be exhibiting with them.

1,000 Words Photography

2010-01-26T22:58:00.000-08:00

Shadows Show

2009-12-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from my solo show at Art Access in October.

2009-11-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

"Shadows" show

2009-11-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

Art Access here I come

2009-10-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

I have a show this Friday, here is the info:

Friday night: 6-9 pm
Where: Arts Access
Address: 230 south 500 west #125
SLC, Utah 84101

Lots of good pictures of some old folk and their homes. Be there or be square. I'll post some more pictures of the show later.

Show

2009-10-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

inspiration wall

2009-10-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

family portraits

2009-08-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

mimi has such a corky personality, I love photographing her. She looks so grownup here, like she has wisdom.
These are some portraits of the family while vacationing in Idaho.

Idaho

2009-08-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

I took these with a small plastic camera while vacationing in Idaho {and Oregon}

my mama and me

2009-07-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

I found this picture from one of my mom's scrapbooks when she was a youngster. I think it's somewhere in Utah. I love how they used to round the edges of photographs. Why don't they do that anymore? I think they got lazy. The colors are always prettier too...more muted or something.

rocks

2009-07-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

I found these rocks that are surrounded by pretty colors of stuff that is growing on them.

Yosemite

2009-07-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Details

2009-07-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

rain and the road

2009-07-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Tight rope walker

2009-06-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

landings

2009-06-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

bike jump

2009-06-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

2009-05-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

nancy

2009-05-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

self portrait

2009-05-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

fall

2009-05-15T00:37:00.000-07:00

Ali loves curtis

2009-01-28T05:21:00.001-08:00

a little bird told me I was featured on Ali Loves Curtis blog. I couldn't be more flattered, because I'm a usual blog stalker of her blog.

Signs

2008-12-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

Some funny signs we saw while road tripping in South Africa.

liz

2008-12-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

Cemetaries

2008-12-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

With over 5 million people living with aids in South Africa, the death rate is pretty high. We saw tons of cemeteries on the way that were packed. In some poor areas, the bodies are buried only a couple of feet under ground, and they stack the bodies to save room. The only problem with this is when there are floods, the bodies wash up. For me, I kept hearing about how many people die of aids in Africa. It didn't seem real until I saw a cemetery in Africa for the first time. It was overwhelming.

more ground

2008-12-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

Ground

2008-12-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

This and that

2008-12-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

2008-12-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

Driving

2008-12-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

Road Trip

2008-12-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

Animal sightings

2008-12-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

everyday

2008-12-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

bits and pieces

2008-12-03T23:45:00.000-08:00

Sink

2008-12-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

These are some sinks that I saw while traveling in Africa. There's no rush to have things clean all the time like it is here. The sinks were either filled with soapy water, dirty dishes, or remnants of food. There is a laid back lifestyle that I loved in Africa. Cleanliness is not taken seriously.

Shadows

2008-12-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

Most of the places that I traveled to in Africa lacked electricity. Natural lighting was the only form of lighting we had indoors. Coming from a place where lights are used all throughout the day, I couldn't get over all of the beautiful shadows all day long.

African Interiors

2008-12-03T21:03:00.000-08:00

These are just some interiors from the long road trip from Johanasberg ("jo-berg") to Zimbabwe, to Cape town, and back to Jo-berg. The interiors were so organic and simple. I loved how things got placed naturally throughout the day. These were taken in hotels we stayed in, and at a farm located in wedza, Zimbabw.

Apartheid stills

2008-12-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

These are photographs taken from old footage from the times of the apartheid that took place in South Africa from 1948 to 1994.

Self Portrait

2008-12-03T16:54:00.001-08:00

This is a self portrait taken while on a cruise for my grandma's 96 birthday. The cruise ship was pretty classic, lined with gold and lots of mirrors. I took a break from eating buffet food to take this picture.

Portland road trip

2008-10-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

Havasoupi

2008-10-04T00:11:00.000-07:00

Some pictures I took in Havasoupi with my water camera.

Zoo

2008-09-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

light wonders

2008-09-20T01:09:00.000-07:00

These are some images taken with some plastic cameras that brought unexpected treasures

driving

2008-09-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

Abstract Nature

2008-09-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

I like to photograph our daily surroundings, to somehow elevate the plainness of our everyday lives. There are exciting and weird experiences that go unnoticed everyday through peoples' hectic lives. I want to capture those moments, the idea of slowing down one’s life to notice the surroundings around them. I also photograph interiors, focusing on material possessions, how home is not only a reflection of who we are, but also a part of us.

I use lighting and colors to portray a certain feeling or atmosphere. The subtle, muted colors I use expose an organic, natural, raw tone that is exuded in my photographs. My latest work has evolved into photographs containing emotion and meaning, and a deeper understanding of life. My purpose is to have my photographs ignite this want among the viewer, to explore their own individual world and notice the beautiful curiosities among them.

Double exposures

2008-09-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

Another mind

2008-09-11T23:32:00.000-07:00

While I was up in Idaho with cubby and the family, his cousin Ian came up to play with us. He was so interesting. He struggles with 'aspergers syndrome'. It was interesting to watch how he viewed the world.