Now Showing in the Ledyard Gallery

Deconstructed Barns and Vertical Surreals
Two shows by Ellen Jonsson  
On View from September 3 - October 27

Barn Door 3 
Deconstructed Barns: Artist Statement
While driving around Vermont taking photographs in the last two or three years, I became fascinated with decaying barns and structures. I took photographs of parts of them that were interesting because of the details of construction that were in disrepair…. doors, windows and attachments of all sizes and shapes. I found the shapes and shadows made by sagging structural elements to be challenging.

At the same time, I was feeling sad that so many of the barns and outbuildings have fallen into ruin, when I thought about the labor involved in their construction.

When I looked carefully at the photographs, I saw all sorts of possibilities for creating new and different images from these vignettes.

To accomplish this, I use the original digital photograph, then manipulate the colors, saturation, contrast, light and dark tones to create a new photograph. I hand-printed each one on a wide format Epson printer using Epson Ultra Premium Luster Photo Paper, or for some applications, Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper. I use Epson Ultra Chrome Inks for color and durability.



Deception Pass Bridge
Vertical Surreals: Artist Statement
I have taken the photographs exhibited here over many years. During the Covid pandemic, I began to experiment with manipulating selected digital photographs with color, light and dark, saturation, inversion, and contrast without altering the original image. 

Color choices make a big difference in the visual layers of the photograph with cooler tones receding and warmer tones coming forward, very disconcerting in some instances. It is a clear demonstration of the dimensionality achieved with the use of color.

These manipulations created otherworldly images of familiar things that become surreal. Fortunately, it was a time-consuming and challenging project during my Covid- avoidance hibernation.

I hand-printed each one on a wide format Epson printer using Epson Ultra Premium Luster Photo Paper, or for some applications, Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper. I use Epson Ultra Chrome Inks for color and durability.

About the Artist:
Ellen Jonsson received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MBA from the University of Oklahoma.

Although photography has been an avocation, she presented solo exhibits in Oklahoma at the Firehouse Art Center, the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, the Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, and the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, in addition to participation in group shows.

Since Jonsson relocated to Vermont in 2017, she has conducted several Osher at Dartmouth (OLLI) classes in Photography, both in-person and on Zoom.