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Roots Silver gelatin print • 27" x 30"

Iris & Fetish Bowl Silver gelatin print • 28" x 31"

Minor Lights Silver gelatin print • 24" x 26"

Those Days When the Morning Light Became Her Soul II Silver gelatin print • 13" x 13"

Those Days When the Morning Light Became Her Soul III Silver gelatin print • 13" x 13"

Those Days When the Morning Light Became Her Soul IV Silver gelatin print • 13" x 13"

Carolyn Courtney, who currently lives in Louisville, KY, earned her MA in Humanities and Film Studies from the University of Louisville, Kentucky in 1992. From 1995 to 2000, she studied photography and printmaking at U of L where she developed her talent. She has regular exhibitions in Louisville and across Kentucky and freelances as a photographer.

Artist's Statement

I feel that photography is a natural part of my everyday life. The mixing of chemicals, developing of film, and dodging and burning are all part of who I am. When I am working, I feel a calmness and a centering. I feel such a great sense of freedom with the possibilities before me. I have discovered that with photography (and the creative process) there is always magic for me-a sense of wonder and timelessness that are surrounded in mystery. Lately, I have been creating work that is more abstract. I have found myself exploring the relations between light and shadow, grace and beauty, complexity and beauty, and motion and stillness. I have learned as an artist and viewer to allow the photograph to take me to new places, both within and outside of myself. There are so many directions as yet to be invented with this art form-so many new paths to take.

I was born in 1953-the year of the snake. For the past two years, I have been photographing snakes (mainly pythons) on handmade paper. Drawn by their sensuous movements and the patterns on their skin, I have attempted to explore the natural beauty and grace of these creatures in my work. The snake has been a symbol and at times a deity in different cultures associated with transformation, temptation, sexual energy, evil, rebirth, the unconscious and healing. My titles are in Sanskrit, owing not only to the influence that yoga has in my everyday life, but also to the important role that the snake plays in the Chakra system. Behind the lens of my camera, all my relations change. In facing my fears, I lose them and find myself excited with the newness that lies before me.

Carolyn Forman Courtney, 2002

Visit the artist's personal website @ http://www.carolyncourtney.com