With an excellent eye for overlooked nuances and the beauty that lies around us in familiar settings, Ethel Jimenez shoots show-stopping photographs which play with a wide range of elements. Her primary inspiration and the unwitting canvas for her compositions are urban landscapes. Walls provide flat expanses of colors - whites, ochres, vivid brick red – and the walls and their angles, are bisected by windows and fire-escapes, lamp posts and wires. These elements act as the setup for Jimenez’ main interest; the effect of light. The light in San Francisco where Jimenez lives and works is unique, very different to the light of her native New York. Its quality and intensity enhance the colors of the walls and reveal beautifully stark shadows.
Simple scenes are transformed into abstract compositions where light and tone are perfectly balanced and our view of the urban landscape is transformed. From a distance, color, pattern and shape dominate, but from close up the extraordinary qualities in ordinary things are revealed.
I agree with Ruth Bernhard who said, "Light is my inspiration; my paint and brush."
I often hurry by scenes that I encounter on a daily basis without giving them a second thought. But, when I do stop and look at the interplay of shadow and light along with texture and color, the objects become wonderful abstractions. I shoot scenes that appeal to me and I hope they will resonate with the viewer. I hope my work will draw the viewer in and make him see in a different way.
