Let There Be Light
Large-format abstract photographs that use light to create celestial shapes we recognize—in some cases because they began as Christmas lights.
Interview by Rosecrans Baldwin
TMN: When do you know you’ve begun working on a series?
Megan Hershman: For me it’s a bit of a process. I don’t consciously think about working on new or different work. It just happens organically.
TMN: Did you own a Lite-Brite as a child?
Megan Hershman: I did! Continue reading ↓
All images used with permission, © copyright the artist, all rights reserved.
Interview continued
TMN: Which branch of science attracts you the most?
Megan Hershman: Astronomy.
TMN: Favorite constellation?
Megan Hershman: Aries.
TMN: Where is the least desirable place to live?
Megan Hershman: Arnhem. It’s in the Netherlands.
TMN: When are you finished with a picture?
Megan Hershman: I photograph with a large-format view camera, which means I always shoot with 4x5 negative sheet film. I never really know what the image is going to look like until I pick it up from the developer. It’s the best part of the process for me. So I suppose it’s finished when I get the negatives back.
TMN: What time of day do you prefer to work?
Megan Hershman: I need complete darkness to photograph so usually I work at night.
TMN: Why photography?
Megan Hershman: I think photography has a way of being incredibly mystical, the way an image is slowly revealed to you in a darkroom is amazing to me. But lately I have been thinking about my work in terms of a built environment, and what it would be like to possibly create actual spaces that mimic the photographs I make in the studio.
TMN: What’s your favorite household appliance?
Megan Hershman: This is a tough one, but I’m going to go with my coffee maker.
TMN: What does “abstract” mean to you?
Megan Hershman: Abstraction is a place or a thought that is not fully understood, an attempt at something new.
TMN: When was your first airplane ride?
Megan Hershman: I was 10 I think. Family trip to New York!
TMN: Does art always contain mystery?
Megan Hershman: No, not always.
TMN: Coffee or tea?
Megan Hershman: Coffee in the morning, tea at night.
TMN: Scotch or nothing?
Megan Hershman: Gin.