Susan Mikula’s creative roots rest deep in the aesthetic legacies of painting and photography, so it’s no surprise that her art is sometimes taken for painting — but it is photography. Shooting exclusively with Polaroid cameras for over a decade and – of necessity – expired Polaroid film, she wor... Read more
Susan Mikula’s creative roots rest deep in the aesthetic legacies of painting and photography, so it’s no surprise that her art is sometimes taken for painting — but it is photography. Shooting exclusively with Polaroid cameras for over a decade and – of necessity – expired Polaroid film, she works only with available light, manually controlling exposures to exploit the quirks of the cameras and the volatility and decay of salvaged film to create painterly, almost impressionistic imagery.
Mikula has developed an expert understanding and instinct for how to turn the inelegant degradation of the film stock into a powerful ally in her creative process. The resulting images are neither cropped nor retouched as they travel from camera to final print.
Not content to simply ‘print and frame’ as a photographer, Mikula is also known for her involvement with the materiality and presentation of her work, getting as involved in making selections for the printing, mounting, framing and hanging as with the original image creation. While certain elements of her aesthetics reach back to the 19th century, these other facets of her creative process put her very much in sync with contemporary practice. The result is work of depth and enduring impact.
Critics have described her work as as “alluring,” “full of ominous beauty,” “complex” and “arresting.”
Mikula lives and works in New York City and Western Massachusetts with her partner, MSNBC political commentator Rachel Maddow.
