Sydney Krantz

Lives and works in New York, NY, USA

Artist statement

Sydney Krantz uses experimental photographic techniques to explore the unique sensory impressions that shape our perceptions. Drawing inspiration from the concept of Umwelt, which posits that every living being experiences the world in a distinct way, her work examines how our individual sensory experiences influence our understanding. She achieves this through photography, a medium that, despite its inherent qualities of illusion and material transformation, still draws from the real world as a reference. Sydney is drawn to photograph in semi-wild spaces, where the boundary between the human-made and natural world blurs. Employing a playful approach, she employs unconventional tools and techniques, such as color gels, crystals, and other experimental optical elements, to create visual disruptions in the interplay of light and darkness. Through multiple film exposures, Sydney embraces chance outcomes in these images, allowing her camera to reinterpret space in unexpected ways. Back in her studio, Sydney uses a combination of old and new technologies, transcending boundaries and merging various techniques to craft distinct works reminiscent of fleeting apparitions. Her final pieces convey a sense of place through optical distortions and vivid colors that might be difficult to describe verbally. In rethinking the rules of traditional photography, she hopes to transport the viewer to these otherwise imperceptible spaces, and evoke a sense of wonder.

Artwork