Poignant Pics no. 32: On Lori Vrba's Exposed
Welcome to no. 32 in our series Poignant Pics where our editor, Diana Nicholette Jeon, writes about Lori Vrba’s photographic assemblage, Exposed.
Exposed (2021)
In my opinion, it is impossible to work in certain segments of fine art photography and not know of Lori Vrba and her work. Vrba is a spectacular photographer and artist. It’s amazing to me to learn that she considers herself a “self-taught photographer.” Perhaps in a past life, she was a master photographer…someone famous we’ve all heard of.
Lori’s bodies of work are deep, haunting, and incredibly masterful in image and technique. The same is true whether it is an assemblage such as this one, exhibition installations, her books, or her photographic prints. Every time I see work with her name next to it, my next thought is “I wish I made that.” I mean that. Every darn time! There are only one or two other people whose work I feel like that about. Her art, her inner self, and her life collide into feminine imagery that speaks universally, yet is utterly and entirely hers.
Exposed is a unique 5"x12" assemblage with encaustic tile and a vintage Kodak camera case. I think it’s a rather brilliant title as well as an interesting, quirky, and uniquely Lori Vrba work. As soon as I saw it on IG, I wrote to her to ask about showing it here.
I’ve never had the opportunity to see her work in person, nor to speak with her via any means (other than to ask her permission to feature this work, that is) but I look forward to a future day where both might happen. Bravo, Lori Vrba, for all the inspiration you have given me over the years.
— Diana Nicholette Jeon
PS: If you would like to know more about Lori Vrba and how she approaches her work, you can listen to Blue Mitchell’s Diffusion Tape discussion with Lori here and you can watch an interesting YouTube video interview that was done by Toronto photographer/filmmaker Ian Garrick Mason.
Artist Bio
Lori Vrba is a self-taught multi-media artist based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Her imagery and assemblage is rooted in themes of memory, illusion, loss, and revival with the southern sensibilities of storytelling. Her work is held in private and permanent collections throughout the world including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Fox Talbot Museum, UK. Vrba has curated numerous exhibitions including Tribe for the Fox Talbot Museum in 2018 and The Center for Photographic Art in 2019. Her first monograph The Moth Wing Diaries was published in 2015 by Daylight and named one of the top ten photo books of the year by American Photo Magazine. She is recognized for her innovative exhibition productions and installations. Vrba is currently teaching for the Los Angeles Center of Photography. She is co-founder of Pigs Fly Retreats.
More of her work may be seen here.
Author Bio
Diana Nicholette Jeon is an award-winning artist based in Honolulu, HI who works primarily with lens-based media. Her work has been seen both internationally and nationally in solo and group exhibitions. Jeon holds an MFA from UMBC.