Susan Burnstine is a professional photographer based in Los Angeles who builds homemade cameras and lenses primarily made out of plastic, vintage camera parts and random household objects. The effects of her images are created entirely in-camera, rather than with post processing manipulations. These hand-made cameras and lenses are frequently unpredictable and technically challenging due to their extensive limitations. Learning to overcome their limitations requires her to rely on instinct & intuition and the results she achieves continue to challenge and inspire her.
Susan earned B&W Magazine’s Spotlight Award for the 2008 Portfolio Contest (Issue #61, September 2008), The Excellence Award for B&W’s 2006 Portfolio Contest (Issue #44, August 2006), the Silver Award for B&W’s 2008 Single Image Contest (Issue#56, February 2008), she’s been nominated for the 2007 Aperture West Book Prize and PDN top 30 2008, her portfolio was featured in Camera Arts Magazine (Issue 62, March/April 2008), PDN EDU (Spring 2008), Black & White Photography Magazine (Issue 54, Christmas 2005) and Professional Photographer Magazine (December 2006).
Artist Statement
On Waking Dreams: 1
“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” –Carl Jung
This series explores that fleeting moment between dreaming and waking–the blurred seconds in which imagination and reality collide.
I often recall images and am uncertain whether they came from something experienced in reality or dreams. Images symbolic of transitions and transformations of the spirit, be it human, animal or from the natural world, are of particular interest and significance to me.
With this series, I wanted to find a way to portray these types of dream-like visions, but entirely in-camera, rather than with post-processing manipulations. To achieve this, I created twenty hand-made cameras and lenses that are frequently unpredictable. Learning to overcome their extensive limitations has required me to rely on instinct and intuition – the same tools key for attempting to interpret dreams.
Between
“Between the conception. And the creation. Between the emotion. And the response. Falls the Shadow.”
-T.S. Eliot
The circle ends. And begins again. And the time past is filled with elements in opposition, juxtaposed as one.
Memory. And certainty. Hopes. And disappointment. Desire. And loss. We’re in an endless state of living and dying. This series explores the fleeting shadows of twilight time, the faint seconds between now and then that float just above reality.
These images are created entirely in-camera, rather than with post processing manipulations. To achieve this, I built twenty hand-made cameras and lenses that are frequently unpredictable and technically challenging due to their extensive limitations. These cameras are instinctual, mysterious and ambiguous in nature.
Just as in life, these images reveal that things are never as simple as black and white. What matters is what lies between.
Exhibitions
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2008 Galerie BMG, Woodstock, NY.
2008 Wall Space Gallery, Seattle, WA.
2-4 Person Exhibitions
2008 “Found At Fotofest”, John Cleary Gallery, Houston, TX.
2008 “Tres Chicas”, Watson Studio Gallery, Johnson City, TX.
2008 “Analog/Digital”, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA.
2007 “Cheap Shot”, Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle, WA.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2008 Spring Arts Collective Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
2008 “On Location”, Wall Space Gallery, Seattle, WA.
2008 “Art of Photography”, Lyceum Theatre Gallery, San Diego, CA.
2007 “Home For The Holidays”, Wall Space Gallery, Seattle, WA.
2007 “Photovision Exhibition/Auction”, Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle, WA.
2007 “4th Annual Alternative Contest & Exhibition”, Julia Dean Gallery, Venice, CA.
2007 “(20) Views + (4) Collaborations”, Wall Space Gallery, Seattle, WA.
2007 “25th Annual Members Exhibition”, Houston Center For Photography, Houston, TX.
2007 “DIA Invitational”, The Center For Fine Art Photography at the DIA, Denver, CO.
2007 “Top 40”, LACDA, Los Angeles, CA.
2007 “DIA Exhibition”, The Center For Fine Art Photography at the DIA, Denver, CO.
2007 “Fantasy & Fantasies”, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO.
2006 “3rd Members Exhibition”, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO.
2006 “DIA Exhibition”, The Center For Fine Art Photography at the DIA, Denver, CO.
2006 “People, Places & Things”, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO.
2006 “21st Century & Beyond”, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO.
2006 “Positive/Negative”, The Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO.
2006 “Journeys”, Wild Wood Gallery, Beacon, NY.
2006 The Art Of Photography, The Lyceum Theatre, San Diego, CA.
2006 Krappy Kamera Competition VIII (Honorable mention),Soho Photo, New York, NY.
2006 Toy Joy at Fotofest, Houston, TX.
2006 The Gallery at Keeble and Schukat, Palo Alto, CA.
2005 15th Annual Center Awards, Center For Photographic Art, Carmel, CA.
2005 Krappy Kamera Competition VII, Soho Photo Gallery, New York, NY.
2005 Cheap Shots,Lisa Coscino Gallery, Pacific Grove, CA.
2005 Toy Camera Art, Shenzhen, China
Collections
The Capital Group. Los Angeles, CA.
Unire Real Estate Group. Brea, CA.
The Dalad Group. Independence, Ohio.
Awards
2008 Black & White Spider Awards, 2nd place in Silhouette & 3rd place, Fine Art categories. 4 nominations.
2008 International Photography Awards, 6 Honorable Mentions in 4 Fine Art categories
2008 B&W Magazine 2008 Portfolio Contest Spotlight Category winner. Featured in issue #61, September 08
2007 B&W Magazine Single Image Contest, Silver Award. Featured in special issue #56, February 08 PDF Link
2007 International Photography Awards, 6 Honorable Mentions in Fine Art, Nature & People categories
2007 4th Annual Alternative Contest, Julia Dean Gallery, Venice, CA. First Place (The Approach) & Honorable Mention (Glide)
2007 Nominated for the Aperture West Book Prize, Aperture Foundation
2007 Silver Eye Center For Photography, Pittsburgh, PA. New Works Gallery Online portfolio selection
2006 Critical Mass, Top 150 Finalist, Photolucida
2006 B&W Magazine Portfolio Contest, Excellence Award. Featured in special portfolio issue #44, August 06
2006 Black & White Spider Awards, Nominated 6 times in 4 categories; portfolio, fine art, silhouette & abstract
2006 Krappy Kamera Competition Soho Photo Gallery, New York, NY. Honorable Mention for Blue’s Nose
Bibliography
Dec. 2008 Professional Photographer Magazine Featured article
Fall 2008 Shots Magazine (Issue #101)
Sept. 2008 B&W Magazine (Issue #61) Featured article, 2008 Portfolio Contest Spotlight Category winner
Mar. 2008 The Desert Sun Newspaper (Monday, March 31, 2008) Featured article, PSPF, Page 1.
Spring 2008 PDN EDU feature article LINK
Mar./Apr. 08Camera Arts Magazine (Issue #62) feature, ‘Dreamwalker’ PDF Link
Feb. 2008 B&W Magazine (Issue #56) 2008 Single Image Contest, Silver Award PDF Link
Nov. 2007 Seattle Post Intelligencer featured in, High art emerges from low-tech cameras in ‘Cheap Shot’
Aug. 2007 File Magazine Featured Project, “Instinct”
July 2007 Black & White Photography Magazine (Issue #74) cover story & interview PDF Link
Summer 2007 Shots Magazine (Issue #96, page 17)
May/June 2007 Camera Arts Magazine Artists’ Showcase, page 8
Winter 2007 Shots Magazine (Issue #94) featured portfolio & interview PDF Link
Jan/Feb 2007 Camera Arts Magazine Artists’ Showcase
Dec. 2006 Professional Photgrapher Magazine, featured article PDF Link
Dec. 2006 Rangefinder Magazine, Art Of Photography article, P. 60
Nov/Dec 2006 Camera Arts Magazine Artists’ Showcase, page 8
Fall 2006 Shots Magazine (Issue #93), p. 7
Aug. 2006 B&W Magazine Special Portfolio Issue #44 (Excellence Award), featured portfolio PDF Link
Aug. 2006 Bending Light Magazine Issue 3, Featured portfolio/article
Spring 2006 Shots Magazine (Issue #91), p.32
May/June 2006 Camera Arts Magazine , Krappy Kamera Contest Competition VIII, featured article PDF Link
March 2006 Lightleaks Magazine, Lulu Publishing
Dec. 2005 Black & White Photography Magazine, Christmas edition, GMC, UK. featured/interview PDF link
Dec. 2005 Kamera & Bild Magazine , Sweden. Cover & feature PDF Link
Oct. 2005 Lightleaks Magazine, Lulu Publishing
2005 The Toy Camera Handbook, Lulu Publishing
June 2005 Cold Tea Magazine, China. Featured article
Books
Winter 2008 Arffirmations by Ellis Weiner & Barbara Davilman, St. Martins Press, photographer & cover art
Sept. 2007 How To Raise A Jewish Dog by Ellis Weiner & Barbara Davilman, Little Brown Publishing, photography
Spring 2007 Final Sins by Michael Prescott, Penguin Group USA , cover art PDF Link