Tierney Gearon has not enjoyed as
much success as other famous photographers in America, but she gained much
success in England as a contemporary photographer after her appearance at the
Saatchi Gallery in London. Before taking up photography, she studied ballet and
then became a model. After working and traveling as a model, Gearon began to
take interest in the photography aspect of modeling. After seeing some
polaroids of her fellow models, a Parisian agent encouraged her to continue
photographing. It was then she started her career as a commercial fashion
photographer working with acclaimed fashion companies and becoming very
successful. It was only after she raised a family and divorced her husband that
she began the I am a Camera project
that gained her much fame.
Similar to Sally Mann, this project
was focused around family life. The subjects were her young children, yet
somehow an uneasy or strange feeling seems to emanate from the photographs,
such as those that featured masks over their faces. Others seem to be more
reminiscent of daily life at home or on vacation—but the lighting, composition
and interactions between subjects make them highly interesting. Unfortunately
most of her press came from the controversy of pictures of her children in the
nude (also like Sally Mann), but she continues to make work today.
What impressed me was the project
highlighted by the film of the same name, The
Mother Project. This was a highly personal project documenting the life and
relationships of her mentally ill mother. These photographs held the same
uneasiness of before, one sometimes seeing charm and light-heartedness, then
quickly witnessing the chaos and trauma in her life. Tierney Gearon is
successful because she controls the emotions of her photographs with expertise,
and their simplicity turns out to be a visceral and complex narrative.
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