Poignant Portfolio no. 17: Marcy Palmer
You are Eternity
by Marcy Palmer
This project is an exploration of beauty as an antidote for personal and political crisis.
In times of heartache, disaster, impasse, many turn to the idea of beauty in the natural world as a place of refuge.
These images are made from plants and flowers, which are photographed, printed on vellum, and hand-applied with 24k gold leaf, varnish, and wax to create the final images. The project is inspired by Anna Atkins’s botanical studies as well as surrealist photographers who manipulated imagery and materials such as Florence Henri, Dora Maar, and Maurice Tabard.
A book of this work titled, “You Are Eternity, You Are the Mirror” is now available at Yoffy Press. The images in the book are paired with the writings of Kahlil Gibran to underscore the significance and multiplicity of the notion of beauty in our lives.
Marcy Palmer’s work circles around themes of home, beauty, nature, and science. Marcy has an M.F.A. in Photography & Related Media from the School of Visual Arts and a B.S. in Studio Art from Skidmore College.
Marcy’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally including The Griffin Museum of Photography, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, The Center for Fine Art Photography, The Berlin Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography (GE), and other venues. Marcy's work has been written about in The Boston Globe Sunday Edition, D Magazine, Ain’t-Bad, Lenscratch, and other publications. She currently resides in Dallas, TX.
From the Editor
I met Marcy Palmer years ago at a gallery exhibition at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO. I was immediately drawn to her work that was showcased in the Center Forward exhibition. Her use of gesture and simplicity was quite refreshing and I’m happy to see her develop that personal style into what is now a lovely book! A huge congratulations on her accomplishments and for continuing to create work that is calming and beautiful, because that is exactly what is needed right now!
–Blue Mitchell