Jennifer Calivas / Trust me
An independent educational digest from our latest article detailing a visit to the Whitney Museum, NYC.
Self-Portrait While Buried #12, 2021, Jennifer Calivas, Dover, NH, Whitney Museum, NYC
A collection of photographic works depicting shared emotional experiences, Trust Me, is an exhibit that features intergenerational artists who “draw parallels between material and emotional contingency,” (from the walls of the Whitney Museum).
Self-Portrait While Buried #16, 2021, Jennifer Calivas, Dover, NH, Whitney Museum, NYC
A collection of photographic works depicting shared emotional experiences, Trust Me, is an exhibit that features intergenerational artists who “draw parallels between material and emotional contingency,” (from the walls of the Whitney Museum). At the age of eight, I recorded my first movie. As of now, I’m not sure when I recorded my first black-and-white photograph; whether it was digital or on film - but, I know that it’s been one of the most important mediums I’ve worked with for at least the last decade. Jennifer Calivas is an evocator with still photography and describes the experience of recording light and contrast in her inspired presentation at Hudson Community College this October. Calivas was insightful and truly invited the students in as a collective audience to whom she wished to impart some knowledge. She talked about her process in the dark room, and I was happily able to relate to this experience and was immediately locked in.
As Calivas walked us through the process of working in the darkroom and shared pictures of her setup, I longed to be in a room so dark again, working on developing a moment frozen in time. To slow down and observe my own feelings through the gradual reveal of my vision and methodology would be all but a small respite. I am quite curious about Caliva’s motion around a 4 x 5 camera, and how that calm, solitary immersion into awareness and self can really seem. To be still, and to invigorate one’s own senses through the operation of a camera seems like a practice in meditation and self-care by way of creative expression.
It’s a very special thing to have someone recommend literature to you, especially when that work was foundational in their own learning. Calivas talked about ecofeminism and the idea of mother, female, and earth. She recalls the influence of Louise Bourgeois, who is famously quoted saying, “To express your emotions, you have to be very loose and receptive.” Bourgeois herself is said to have informed her own artwork through the retelling and imprint of past trauma from her childhood and issues with abandonment. This history brings to light the ways through which self-acceptance and exploration of the human spirit can manifest through art and later exert a strong influence on future generations and empower female art. Notable works by Bourgeois include her Spider series in which she illustrates the duality of the female presence in the household and “uses the spider, both predator (a sinister threat) and protector (an industrious repairer), to symbolize the mother figure,” (tate.org).
Calivas also talks about Minor White, an American photographer and educator. Scanning through the collective works of Minor White was euphoric and simply unreal. It reinforced what I already knew about this medium; its simplicity allows for the greatest impact. The overlay of deep blacks and bright whites permeates each piece and curates the spaces within each composition. His work is intentional and powerful all the same. I can see the potential to develop as a student of Minor White and I wish to study him more intently now.
I am now a better artist simply through time shared with Calivas in the context of a classroom amongst my peers. I took notes about Qigong and taking control of your energy while releasing yourself into the earth. I understand how trust in yourself can be immeasurable and divine. And, I learned that intuition should be trusted and personal freedom can be detected by your audience; they’re looking for it.
