Interview
Lilyan Aloma
Lilyan’s fascination with Manhattan’s cityscape has been at the heart of her photographic work for two decades. Between 2003 and 2009, she had 3 solo exhibits at OK Harris Works of Art in New York. Her photos have been included in group exhibits: Leica Gallery, Rayko Photo, The Lightbox Gallery, Soho Photo, The National Arts Club, Brevard Museum, Berlin Photo Biennial, and others. In competition, her honors include, Tokyo Fine Arts Award, Moscow Fine Art Award, PX3, American Photography, Julia Margaret Cameron Awards, International Photographers of America, and others. In 2010, Lilyan won an IPF fellowship from the Aaron Siskind Foundation for her work entitled, “Billscape.” Articles about her work have been published in Black & White Magazine, Art Dealer Street, Dodho Magazine, Photography Annual 2020, and Silvershotz Magazine. Her earlier film work can be found in the collections of Beinecke Library at Yale University, The Brooklyn Museum, Stein Rogan Advertising, The Museum of the City of New York and The New York Historical Society.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I began exploring photography in the 80’s, when a photographer friend introduced me to the magic of his darkroom. From there grew my love of black and white photography, which led to a basic course at The School of Visual Arts. I launched my visual investigation with a 35mm Pentax ME-F. With rudimentary darkroom skills and a bit of courage, I built a darkroom in my apartment and over the years that followed, I continued exploring image making; including film development, printing and toning, infrared photography, color photography and hand coloring black and white image. The only other formal study I engaged in was a class with Fine Art photographer, George Tice at The school of visual Arts. The predominance of my learning process was self generated, true to my way being, learning by doing.”
What inspires you?
“It is the marvel of chance encounter that continues to inspire me to explore my world. I am addicted to discovery! It is my urban mindset that inspires my focus on cityscape, and it’s odd juxtapositions of physical space.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“Over the course of the last two decades, Manhattan’s cityscape and its constant evolution, has been at the heart of my photographic work. How people physically organize their living space, and the aesthetic form that manifests, became my fascination. With the cityscape as my canvas, my work thematically investigates architecture, billboards, windows and their reflections.”
“It is the marvel of chance encounter that continues to inspire me to explore my world. I am addicted to discovery!”
How would you describe your work?
“I create images to explore my world, interior and exterior; to discover what lies beneath my “seeing.” The intention of my creative process is to uncover the potential of what lies beyond the limits of conditioned sight and thought, calling imagination into play with virtual reality. I create to provoke and confound the viewer into a deeper awareness of his or her own powers of observation.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Specific to my development as a visual artist, my work derives inspiration from the surrealism of Jerry Uelsmann, the abstractionism of Aaron Siskind and the graphic awareness of M.C. Escher. Of additional significance is the work of the early street photographers, Henri Cartier Bresson and Brassai and their focus on urban life and the physical form of the cityscape. Lastly, the optical infatuation of Abelardo Morell has enriched my visual point of view greatly.”
What is your creative process like?
“In the 1980’s began the emergence of my understanding of light, composition and the power of discovery to empower imagery. On a technical level, everything had to be present in the negative; film properly exposed and developed and composition thoughtfully prepared before I entered the darkroom. Governed by these fundamentals, the interpretation of light and composition were the direct product of observation at the time of the image capture. Photography was for myself, as it was historically, an art of “seeing.” My work has remained bound by this point of view esthetically and technically; maintaining my admiration of film as a tool for expressing my photographic ideas. Whether I am holding a Holga, a Nikon or a Smartphone my process is unaltered. The magic is in the seeing, whether by viewfinder or LCD screen; in the moment of visual recognition, in the seeing of a subject as only I can at the moment I capture an image. The elements that I assemble in the frame, while informed by the subject are drawn together by my intuition when the image is captured. The content of each image remains as found, whether interpreted completely by chemistry, by desktop darkroom or cellphone app.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Artists play a vital role in society as they have the power to inspire, challenge, and provoke thought. They express ideas, emotions, and perspectives through their creative works. They can serve as catalysts for change, pushing boundaries, personal and societal. They provide a sense of beauty, offering a different lens through which to view the world.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“Between 2003 and 2009, my work was curated by Ivan Karp at OK Harris Gallery in Soho. The first and second exhibits were analog. In my view, these images have maintained their strength and are a vital link to my photographic pathway. The first exhibit, entitled, “Mecca or Madness,” featured black and white images, exposing the power of billboards and their influence on our cityscape. The second exhibit, entitled, Billscapes, reflected the Billboard invasion once again, but in color. Deconstruction, the third exhibit, via digital capture, explored the minutia of decaying billboards and the internal messages they contain.”
