Food. We taste (rather we eat), we touch (maybe not enough.) But how often do we slow down to take in the aroma and the beauty of the often-overlooked vegetables, fruit and edible plants that nourish us? Do we notice the myriad varieties and subtle shades of beans, the fractal patterns of a Romanesco cauliflower, the delicate fingerlike form of young carrots, the gracefulness of squash blossoms and their tendrils, or the seductive profile of a pear cut in half?
My move to a Maine farm in 1983 after 13 years in NYC working as a freelance photographer for major fashion, interiors and life-style publications gave me a new appreciation and respect for fresh food and the pleasure of eating with the seasons. Eight years ago I began a quest to honor the humble vegetable by elevating it to a place of honor: on a pedestal. These portraits in "The Pedestal Series" often feature a single species isolated to retain the simplicity of the subject while highlighting the complexity of its sculptural form. This collection led to "The Tray Series" offering an aerial view in a confined space often exiting the frame to break up the design. Thinking within the box, I look for good form, texture, patina and color. Beauty can be found everywhere if you take the time to really look.
A graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Lynn Karlin has an impressive list of employees and clients over her four decade career shooting fashion for WWD and W as the first woman staff photographer as well as photographing gardens, food and interiors for Country Living magazine, House Beautiful, The New York Times, Design New England, Garden Design and England's Garden Illustrated. Sole photographer of three award winning garden/lifestyle books, Lynn's work has appeared in numerous write-ups from the San Francisco Chronicle to The New York Times and is exhibited in galleries, design studios, restaurants and corporate headquarters world-wide.
Lynn's new series "Still Lives: Stories in Profile" are photographic portraits which detail the rarely seen side of a person's face. These profiles show the beauty of the face, its noble contours and prominent features, ruffled hair, the lines of time. To see this on-going series, visit Lynn's website.
