BIOGRAPHY
Maxine Helfman began her early career as a commercial photographer. Her years as both a highly regarded stylist and art director,
in this highly competitive field, led to development of her own unique vision in fine art photography. Helfman talks about a dramatic shift in her practice, which occurred while working on backdrops for various iconic photo shoots. She began to notice a shift in her vision which drew her away from concerns with peripheral aesthetics and an interest in getting behind the camera to explore her passion for capturing the scene herself through her own artistic lens. As the French humanist photographer Cartier-Bresson once said; "The decisive moment is capturing an event that is ephemeral and spontaneous." This new found spontaneity offered her an aesthetic freedom, without limitations, where she could experiment with the dynamism of her subjects placed in tableaus that challenge cultural norms of sex, race, power and gender. Whether exploring such themes as the sacred or profane Helfman's images embody a stunning array of formal qualities drawn directly from historical paintings, sculptures and films. Her work has been recognized by px3, ipa, foto dc, flash forward Boston, critical Mass, British journal of photography.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I have always had a fascination with how the brain perceives an image. The way one viewer draws connections is not necessarily the same for another. Like fitting the pieces together, of a complex puzzle, my work is about fostering connections and connecting the dots that reveal
personal meaning in an image. It's a partnership between artist and the viewer as we tap into our individual observations and intuition. Through this method of making connections, I found my process, allowing the work to reveal in its own time. William Kentridge refers to this process as "following the impulse." I am interested in how these "dots" are like periods of history, current events or contradictions in our world. And how history repeats itself whether for the good of mankind or the bad. As in historical art, the human figure has consistently served as a surrogate for the human condition. My portraits aim at addressing these issues that reappear again and again such as race and gender inequality or self-identification and the lack of inclusion. I tend to draw from historical art forms like the portraiture of the17th century Dutch painters and the Japanese traditions of Geisha portraits from the Edo period. My art beckons a reconsideration of the past using the medium of photography, and the genre of the figure, as a symbol of truth and honor that debunks the stereotypes and myths that have divided humanity. Beneath these portraits are layers of complexity. Fusing the past and the present allows me to reconcile with issues I find troubling.
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS:
Santa Barbara Museum of Fine Art - CA
Museum of Fine Art Houston - TX
Sir Elton John Photography Collection - UK
Tweed Museum of Art - MN
Mt. Vernon Permanent Collection - VA
private collection Washington DC
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart - DE
EXHIBITION
2021 Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
2020 Monticello
2019 Tefaf NYC
2019 The Winter Show NYC
2017 The Light Factory
2016 Billboard Creative
2016 Discovery of Fotofest
2015 Farmani Gallery Bangkok
2014 Ipa Best of Show
2014 Wall Space Santa Barbara
2014 Galerie Vu Paris
2013 Art of Photography Show
2013 Fresh Klompching
2012 Foto DC
2012 Ipa Best of Show
2012 Flash Forward Boston
2012 Santa Barbara Museum of Art
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2020 D La Repubblica
2020 Zoom Magazine #258
2019 The Art Newspaper
2019 The Magazine Antiques
2018 Photographers Forum
2018 Communication Arts
2016 Feature Shoot
2016 Photphore
2015 Communication Arts
2015 Telegraph UK
2015 Beautiful Decay
2015 Juxtapose Magazine
2015 Vice Magazine
2015 Huffington Post
2015 Don't Take Pictures
2015 In Focus Phoenix Art Museum
2015 Lenscratch
2015 CNN
2014 PDN Top 10
2014 Patron Magazine
2014 Independant.com
2014 PDN Annual
2013 At Length Klompching
2013 PDN Online
2013 British Journal of Photography
2012 Lenscratch
2012 Photonews
AWARDS
2020 Lensculture Critics Choice
2019 Lensculture Visual Storytelling
2018 American Photography 34
2016 Critical Mass
2016 IPA Awards
2016 APA wards
2016 Discovery of Fotofest
2015 PX3 Gold Fine Art
2015 PDN Annual
2015 CA Annual
2014 Lucie Awards
2014 IPA Fine Art 1st Place
2014 Masters Cup 1st Place Fashion
2014 PDN Annual
2014 PX3 1st Place Fine Art
2014 PX3 Gold Collage
2014 PX3 Gold Fine Art Other
2014 PX3 Honorable Mention
2014 IPA Fine Art 1st Place
2014 IPA 1st Place Collage
2013 IPA Honorable Mention
2013 Art of Photography Show
2013 Fresh Klompching
2013 Continent Award Short List
2012 PX3 Fine Art Silver
2012 PX3 Fine Art Bronze
2012 IPA 2nd Place Fine Art
2012 IPA Best of Show
2012 Foto DC
2012 Critical Mass
2011 IPA Honorable Mention