MARY PINTO

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Using found objects and alternative photographic processes, my work evokes a sense of wonder at the natural and built environments. Perceptions of home and nature are embodied in these photogram collages: the comforts and confines of home during the pandemic; the blind energy of trees and gardens; and the airy presence of new construction or clouds in a landscape.

The camera-less technique I use, the photogram process, is associated with the early stages of photographic exploration and invention, a time of awe at the possibilities of photography as a way of recording the world. The resulting images recall early botanical and medical prints, as well as contemporary architectural and scientific imaging such as blueprints, x-rays and scans.  I often intervene in these prints, working against their preciousness by cutting, collaging, or using mixed media, in order to bring the photographic image more fully into the physical world. Through these interventions, I reinterpret my subjects and materials so that something surprising yet satisfying emerges.

Bio:

Originally from the Philadelphia area, Mary Pinto lives and works in Queens, NY. Her photograms and collages have been exhibited widely, most recently at Culture Lab LIC, and online through the SHIM art network. In 2017, her work was featured in ArtSpace magazine's "Five of the Best Artworks from Photo L.A.". In 2019 and 2021, she received individual artist grants for the creation of new work from the Queens Council on the Arts. As a curator, she has organized several exhibits, including a permanent installation of the work of 19 artists at the Fortune Society through Art Connects New York. She received her M.F.A. from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College in 1999.