(Des Moines, Iowa, 1969 -)
Untitled #14 (wonder), 1996
cibachrome print on aluminum
6 1/3 in. x 5 3/8 in. x 1 3/4 in
Anna Gaskell (born 1969 Des Moines, Iowa) Is a photographer based in Iowa. She studied at Bennington College for two years before attending the Art Institute of Chicago, where she received a BFA in 1992; she received an MFA from Yale University in 1995. Gaskell early works deal with self-portraits, but then settled for storytelling through her photographs. Her most recurrent theme relates to Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
Untitled #14 is a photograph depicting the legs of a girl. This photograph is part of the Wonder series that deals with a series of girls dressed in matching uniforms in ambiguous and ominous situations. This narrative photography was staged; the scene presented is “artificial” in that it exists only to be photographed.
[description:] The photograph takes place low on the ground. The main subject is only showing her legs, as if the picture was taken by the model itself. The subject is laying on the ground wearing white pantyhose and black shoes. The background consists of dry tall grass and dried leafs.
Untitled #23 (Override)
c-print on plexiglass
60 in. x 90 in.
Anna Gaskell (born 1969 Des Moines, Iowa) Is a photographer based in Iowa. She studied at Bennington College for two years before attending the Art Institute of Chicago, where she received a BFA in 1992; she received an MFA from Yale University in 1995. Gaskell early works deal with self-portraits, but then settled for storytelling through her photographs. Her most recurrent theme relates to Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
Untitled #23, which is part of Gaskell’s second series “ Override”, underscores the central metaphor of change in the Alice story, with its composition of figures pulling and stretching one of the Alices. More universal is the idea of external forces acting on humans, as they struggle to maintain some original form in a sea of similar beings. Exaggerated close-ups, the cropping of the figures at the erde of the scene, and the framing of action taking place in the distance are all techniques borrowed from film.
[description:] Very dynamic photograph of four girls in the woods. The picture was taken during the day, but still has very dark areas of contrast. Three of the girls are pulling the other girl, one from her arms, and the other two from each leg. All of them are blond and are wearing the same light blue dress uniform.
Untitled #8 (wonder), 1996
cibachrome print on aluminum
30 in. x 40 in.
Untitled #8 is part of Gaskell’s series “Wonder”. In this photograph twins lie next to each other, like mirror images of the same person. Gaskell is exploring the themes of identity and self-discovery.
[description:] The two subjects are laying next to each other while laying on the ground. Both of the girls have the same facial expression, eyes closed and resting face as if they were sleeping. Both are wearing a light blue dress with a white peter pan collar shirt underneath.