ARTIST TO WATCH
Renee Greenlee
Kelly Holt writes in Vermont Art Guide #6, “Renee Greenlee’s experimental practice in photography is both visionary and inspiring. Grounded in a rich tradition of experimentation, Greenlee seeks to create an open environment in which she can explore historical processes alongside contemporary image making. Her primary body of work uses black and white film, and her ‘go-to’ cameras are the Rolleiflex and the Holga.”
“Artists to Watch 2018” is a survey of contemporary Vermont artists that appears as special features in Vermont Art Guide #6 and #7 and in a two-part exhibition at the Vermont Arts Council.
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In a way, my new work is a metaphor of my Vermont experience. I’m not always sure where to go…not always sure how to be present in my new surroundings.
A recent resident of Vermont, Greenlee hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her current process of rendering shifts in morning light is leading to a new series of obscured landscapes. For example, “When you shoot in fog, it’s not always clear what you are going to get,” says Greenlee. “In a way, my new work is a metaphor of my Vermont experience. I’m not always sure where to go…not always sure how to be present in my new surroundings.” Greenlee has been recently drawn to color film through classes at Burlington City Arts, learning new processes in the digital lab and darkroom. She is chasing shifts, changes and nuances of light, including investigating differences in how layers of color render on film and in the eye. The goal is to slow down the process of image making to its bare bones, contemplating the tangible nature of the film and the ephemeral layers of light and color found when bodies of water meet the sky.
Renee Greenlee recently joined the team at Burlington City Arts. As Photography Program Assistant, she helps manage the Community Darkroom and Digital Lab. She is also a teaching artist, engaging in programming with other local nonprofits. When she’s not at the BCA Studios on Pine Street, you can find her in the gym and on the water with Dragonheart Vermont, preparing to go to the 2018 Club Crew World Championships in Szeged, Hungary this summer. She is a vibrant part of the greater Burlington photography scene.
“Artists to Watch 2018” is a survey of contemporary Vermont artists that appears as special features in Vermont Art Guide #6 and #7 and in a two-part exhibition at the Vermont Arts Council.
ABOUT ARTISTS TO WATCH | GET THE MAGAZINE | EXHIBITION DETAILS
Each issue of Vermont Art Guide has over a hundred places to see art around the state. The full-color, printed magazine has artist and venue profiles as well as articles and news about Vermont Art. Our goal is to document and share the state’s incredible art scene. SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Images (top to bottom):
from the “Burlington Series” by Renee Greenlee (cyanotype)
portrait of Renee Greenlee by Howlermano Photography (tintype taken at Rokeby Museum)
All images courtesy of the artist.