Artist’s Statement

My art is constantly changing. It is cathartic, when I need it to be; pushing me in different directions even when I struggle with where it sends me. At times, it tells a story, or becomes a humorous place to express a silly something. Sometimes my art remains a place of self doubt and I fear it may abandon me. Or alternatively, it manifests itself in a clear vision that comes out with a tenacity that cannot be restrained. I am in awe of the creative process in the truest sense of the word; I am both terrified and curious of the magic behind creative expression and the hold it has over me.

I am a self taught photographer of sorts. Three years ago it came into my life, when my boyfriend put a camera in my hand so that I would have something to do while he was “out shooting.” I was completely surprised by the power of photography. Prior to this, I never thought of myself as a creative person; in my professional life I worked as a nursery school teacher, a nurse, and currently a psychotherapist. I find that much of my art has been influenced by the roles I have played in my life. I primarily take self portraits where I use myself as a model. I define this medium not in the traditional sense of self revelation, but as imaginative storytelling with the added demands brought to the process by being in the photo and behind the camera. I often don’t think of the woman in the photo as me at all, but rather the medium I use to tell a story. I place myself in the pictures as a painter sets his paint to canvas.

Photography has become a driving force in my life. I spend every chance I get shooting or editing pictures. I am constantly looking for interesting locations to create. I have shot in a huge variety of locations including old decaying asylums, theaters, laundromats, prisons, churches, etc. Exploring New England adds an element of discovery to my process. I never quite know what I will find and incorporate into my pictures. I have made use of a pile of broken dishes, an old bed frame, a chair, a piece of broken glass, an old game, a piano, a broken violin, and so on. I like the unfolding that happens when I peer around and create something out of whatever I come across.

Biography

The photography of Ea Maples presented in A MOMENT IN FRAME are self portraits.  Maples, a current practicing psychotherapist, finds that the rolls she has played in her life influence her art.  The artist’s process involves placing herself both in front of and behind the camera.  This unfolds a narrative of struggle, self doubt, humor, and vision.  Maples sees a composition with herself in it as another piece of the set, finding inspiration in everyday and historical objects, while exploring the decaying architectural interiors of New England.

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23 Canal Street, Town of Rockingham, Bellows Falls, Vermont

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