Carolyn Marks Blackwood

As a successor to The Hudson River School, Carolyn Marks Blackwood introduces an abstract lens through which to view the ephemeral nature of the Hudson Valley. She presents the viewer with a detailed perspective of the various elements of nature, including, air, ice, and water, as they are affected by seasonal change, time of day, and the weather.  The photographs contain an undeniable painterly aspect as she re-presents details of nature that typically go unnoticed. Through her focus on color fields, geometric abstraction, and flattened motifs, the viewer is confronted with an image that is altogether familiar and unfamiliar. 

Her photographs depart from the traditions of The Hudson River School in that they concentrate on a singular subject –such as light reflecting on the water, birds, or pieces of ice– as opposed to the sprawling, all-encompassing landscapes of her predecessors. The prioritization of the singular, abstracted fragment allows for the exploration of the isolated subject as it is transformed through the constant shifts of the conditions of nature. 

Carolyn Marks Blackwood was born in Anchorage, Alaska. In addition to fine art photography, Carolyn is a screenwriter and film producer with her partner Gabriel Tana for their production company, Magnolia Mae Films and for Brouhaha. Blackwood's work has been exhibited extensively in California, Spain, and New York.  She currently lives on a 120 foot cliff, overlooking the Hudson River, in the Hudson Valley, New York.