2023 "FOCUS ON YOUTH":
FEATURED EMERGING ARTIST
Photographer:
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Proud Sponsors of Focus on Youth 2023
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Olive Harrington is a photographer based in Lawrence, Kansas. She was introduced to photography four years ago by her amazing photography teacher Angelia Perkins. The driving force behind her art practice is a desire to learn, to understand, and to be understood.
Recurring themes in her work include feminism, identity and childhood. Through experimentation and exploration, she combines media and stretch concepts. In the future, she plans to continue expanding her boundaries by incorporating more time-based media and large-scale installations.
In August, she will begin her freshman year at Parsons Paris, which is a branch of Parsons School of Design. She will be majoring in art, media, and technology and minoring in French studies.
Recurring themes in her work include feminism, identity and childhood. Through experimentation and exploration, she combines media and stretch concepts. In the future, she plans to continue expanding her boundaries by incorporating more time-based media and large-scale installations.
In August, she will begin her freshman year at Parsons Paris, which is a branch of Parsons School of Design. She will be majoring in art, media, and technology and minoring in French studies.
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"Having a combination of straight photos and these hybrid pieces allows me to completely dive into my concepts." ~ Olive Harrington |
Olive discusses her use of mixed media and the inspiration behind several of her series.
Gaudy Hollow
© Olive Harrington
© Olive Harrington
When did you start using photographs as part of mixed media/collage work?
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When I was working on my AP 2D Art and Design portfolio in May of 2022, I really started experimenting with incorporating mixed media with my photos. There was so much stress and pressure from the due date that it truly propelled me to experiment. After the AP portfolio was finished, I felt that I had definitely started something new with my work.
How do you feel the use of more than one medium enhances your photography? Most of the art I create exists in series. Having a combination of straight photos and these hybrid pieces allows me to completely dive into my concepts. Combining photography with different media creates a lot of depth to my art – it takes the viewer longer to unpack each piece. Olive's explanation of "A Sharpened Silhouette" (oliveharrington.net): With 'A Sharpened Silhouette,' I wanted to turn my biggest insecurity into an art installation that celebrates my journey in accepting my nose, denying subjective beauty standards, and recognizing the immense history that each of us holds in our features. It is a four-part piece combining textiles, cyanotype photography, and sculpture, engaging the audience through storytelling and self-examination. |
A Sharpened Silhouette
© Olive Harrington |
Do you go into a shoot with an idea of how the final product will look, or do the images speak to you and guide your creativity afterward?
I definitely go into a shoot with a lot of pre-planning, both conceptually and visually, but I’ve found that the most success I get with a shoot comes from the ideas that come out of nowhere – during the shoot and in the post editing/manipulation stages.
I definitely go into a shoot with a lot of pre-planning, both conceptually and visually, but I’ve found that the most success I get with a shoot comes from the ideas that come out of nowhere – during the shoot and in the post editing/manipulation stages.
The Portal and the Labyrinth
© Olive Harrington |
Your series “The Portal and the Labyrinth” is quite impressive.
When I created these pieces, I was in the process of deciding which university to go to. I had never made such a big decision before, and all I could think of was how different my life would be with each school choice. I felt like I was getting ready to step through a metaphorical portal. It felt strange knowing that I was preparing for such a big change, and this prompted me to look back at all the little decisions I've made that brought me to this point. I visualized it as a labyrinth that I had traversed through. Please explain the particulars about the image “Yes to One, No to Many.” In ‘Yes to One, No to Many,’ I was specifically referring to the act of making one decision, and how it felt like I was just saying no to an infinite number of other possibilities. It’s such an overwhelming feeling, and I wanted that to be present in this piece. I used film from the different places I visited, whether it be from college tours or my grandparents’ house. I then scanned and pieced them together digitally. Next, I cut the collage in circles to represent the spiraling weight I felt making this decision. Finally, I layered the image over a photo I took of a sheet of broken glass that I put on top of a lightbox, which is a recurring motif throughout the series. |
Yes to One, No to Many
© Olive Harrington
© Olive Harrington
You seem to be driven and inspired by the ideas of “Self-Reflection” and “Change.” Please explain.
I think the ideas of change and self-reflection are very present within my art because I’m at a stage in my life where things are transitioning and changing constantly, and my art reflects this. I also find change to be laced with a lot of different emotions, and I find this inspirational.
I think the ideas of change and self-reflection are very present within my art because I’m at a stage in my life where things are transitioning and changing constantly, and my art reflects this. I also find change to be laced with a lot of different emotions, and I find this inspirational.
Toss and Turn
© Olive Harrington
© Olive Harrington
Are there any other recurring themes in your work?
A lot of themes for my pieces start from connections I make. There was this one series where I used a moonvine, a plant that comes back to life every July, as inspiration and comparison against the cruelty of feminine beauty ideals and aging.
A lot of themes for my pieces start from connections I make. There was this one series where I used a moonvine, a plant that comes back to life every July, as inspiration and comparison against the cruelty of feminine beauty ideals and aging.
My Curator
© Olive Harrington |
Osmosis
© Olive Harrington |
“Osmosis” has a haunting or spiritual feel to it. What was the inspiration with this one?
For ‘Osmosis’ I was working on a series exploring my fear of the dark and reliance upon night lights. People turn to night lights for protection, when in truth the light is actually incredibly harmful to one’s health. I saw nights in this new sort of self-sabotaging nature. This all led me to dress up as a makeshift lamp for the photo. After taking that photo, I decided to print it out on transparency paper and submerge it underwater. Later, I took a photo of the fire and noticed how its movement was similar to the reflection on the water. I layered that behind the photo, and I liked how it felt like a battle between the elements. Although I had this message intended for ‘Osmosis,’ I really enjoy how viewers are able to find their own meanings when they view the piece.
For ‘Osmosis’ I was working on a series exploring my fear of the dark and reliance upon night lights. People turn to night lights for protection, when in truth the light is actually incredibly harmful to one’s health. I saw nights in this new sort of self-sabotaging nature. This all led me to dress up as a makeshift lamp for the photo. After taking that photo, I decided to print it out on transparency paper and submerge it underwater. Later, I took a photo of the fire and noticed how its movement was similar to the reflection on the water. I layered that behind the photo, and I liked how it felt like a battle between the elements. Although I had this message intended for ‘Osmosis,’ I really enjoy how viewers are able to find their own meanings when they view the piece.
Impossible Walls
© Olive Harrington |
Threads
© Olive Harrington Your exploration and manipulation of shadows is predominant in many of your pieces. Are you asking the viewer, “What do YOU see?”
Definitely! My work is a catalyst for the viewer to ask questions. |
