It seems entirely appropriate that the walls of Hoboken’s vintage and designer clothing store Air Studios are currently lined with decisively ethereal photographs.
“They’re so cool,” said Air Studios co-owner Desiree Pesce, admiring her boutique’s freshly adorned walls. “They almost look vintage, like they’re vintage photographs.”
The classic-looking pictures, all of which depict various incarnations of the female form, are the work of Laurel Jensen, a 28-year-old Brooklyn-based photographer.
Laurel Jensen grew up in Minnesota and moved to New York five years ago.
“I’ve always been interested in photography,” she said last week. “But I really got interested when I moved to New York.”
Jensen honed her skills at New York’s International Center of Photography and currently supports herself working as a freelance assistant to professional photographers. “I load the cameras, set up the cameras, and basically help out by being their right hand,” she explained. And she does it all while she is working to develop a career of her own.
Last week Jensen cited Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldman and Francesca Woodman among her favorite photographers. “Francesca Woodman killed herself when she was 23,” Jensen explained. “She did these amazing self-portraits and a lot of nudes set in old warehouses. They’re very … you can almost see the depression.”
Jensen’s photographs are also provocative. The artists statement on display at Air Studios states, “Laurel Jensen takes photographs that comment on body image. Her is work is a personal documentary addressing physical and emotional issues of the female form. Using color and figurative narration, she makes a range of statements about sexuality and the conflicting and often confusing perceptions of reality.”
With ascetic names like “Posing in a chair,” “Woman holding flower,” and “Control top panties,”
Jensen’s photographs certainly address physical and emotional issues of the female form and make statements about sexuality and reality. But her hazy images of fractured figures, many of which are faceless, also capture a mood that is difficult to put into words
To achieve this muted and moody effect, Jensen uses a pinhole camera. And today, while many photographers are trading in their Kodak film and dark room toner for digital cameras and scanners, Jensen said she plans to continue doing things the old fashioned way, at least for now.
“I still like the idea of using film and I like the hands-on work in the dark room,” she said. “I like shooting out of focus. It gives the photographs a dream-like quality that I really like. A digital camera would sort of defeat the purpose.”
Jensen uses friends and family members as models for her work.
“I generally like to shoot – I don’t know how to put this – just regular girls with regular bodies,” she said. “And they’re anonymous, in a way, so maybe everyone can identify with them. That’s why I don’t like to shoot the face.”
Another reason Jensen avoids the visage is that she considers her photographs to be self-portraits, although she actually appears in none of them.
“I hesitate to say that because I want everyone to identify with them,” she said. “But that’s basically why I don’t shoot men. I haven’t found my masculine side yet.”
Laurel Jensen’s photographs are currently on display at Air Studios (55 First St., Hoboken). There will be an artist’s reception on Friday, March 23 from 8 to 11 p.m. For more information call 239-1511.