Wie unterschiedlich die Meinungen von Juroren ausfallen, zeigt sich bei Wettbewerben gut. Manchmal kann man Juroren überzeugen und wird Teil einer Ausstellung, und manchmal trifft man den Geschmack nicht. Anfang des Jahres habe ich bei unterschiedlichen Wettbewerben mit dem gleichen Portfolio drei unterschiedliche Bilder meiner Serie “Muttersprache” unterbringen können. Ein viertes Bild aus der gleichen Serie wurde von einer Jurorin des diesjährigen Critical Mass Wettbewerbs für ihre Veröffentlichung ausgewählt. Auch in den Kommentaren, die die Juroren dieses Wettbewerbs für mich hinterlassen konnten, zeigt sich gut, wie unterschiedlich die Sicht auf meine Arbeit ist. Das sind die anonymisierten Nachrichten, die ich erhalten habe.

Beautiful series!

Your family is fortunate to have such a beautiful record of their youth.

Some strong and compelling portraits in here - nice tonal range and attention to texture and light.

I didn’t feel the images supported the artist statement and the purpose of your series.  Maybe rethink the connection, as well as any comments you may receive from jurors and continue to develop the series.  Best of luck to you.

These are marvelous. Family photos are ubiquitous; family photos at this level are not. This brings to mind a comment by Robert Mapplethorpe: “My whole point is to transcend the subject… go beyond the subject somehow, so that the composition, the lighting, all around, reaches a certain point of perfection.”

Hello Felice - Your series reads very solemn, distanced and quiet to me. “Ambivalence of our relationships” shines through. Most bodies of work focusing on family usually  portray chaos and healthy friction. Yours is much more introspective. (‘Layers’ reminiscent of Sally Mann’s photograph of wet fabric on woman’s backside, early work, not sure if it’s titled). I am intrigued by your statement “Growing up as an only child of a single mother, I missed the presence of family” - this body of work seems to carry the feeling of solitude as such - like you can’t quite shake that memory and go the other direction. Which is fine! Beautiful body of work, thank you so much for submitting to Critical Mass this year.

“Pathways” and “Haven of” just wonderful.

This is beautiful work. The B&W presentation confers a timelessness while emphasizing elegant composition and defining contrasts. You have a light touch with underlying meaning (suggested by your titles) that magnifies their quiet power.