Anna D Bruce | Snapped Featured Artist

Snapped Featured Artist

Opening March 4th At Spectra Art Space

Showcasing Series:

Wonderment

“Curiosity for Imagination ”

Can you give us an artist statement for the series you will be showcasing in March for Snapped at Spectra Art Space?

“I believe that there is a magical world inside us all. A world of imagination, dreams, and enchantment. I want to share a piece of my world and memories with you.

As a child, the only way I knew how to express myself creatively was through drawing. I grew up in Venezuela and at the age of fourteen while visiting my aunt in California, my parents made an unexpected phone call to us. I learned that I was not returning home because of the political uncertainty, instead they were moving to the United States.

I turned to photography as a way to physically document my life. As time went on, it also became my way of expressing myself creatively.
As a fine art photographer, I love that I am able to create surreal, painterly images that look impossibly real. ”

Tell us about the process for the series? 

“In most of my conceptual and fine art work, I use photography as my creative medium. I like to think of my process like shaping clay, except with my own photographs. All of my work is photographed digitally and I only use my own photography (no stock images) to create pieces that showcase a world that is impossibly real.

In most of my work, I am the subject. As a young photographer, I was so inspired by Cindy Sherman. I was so fascinated by her use of dress-up and costume to become anyone that she wanted to be. In my daily life, I feel very average – I don’t really stick out in a crowd and as the years go on and on, I struggle with being in crowded spaces. In my art pieces, I force myself to become someone who isn’t average and IS the center of attention. It could be a cry for attention or a way of showcasing the creative person I am.”

Anna D. Bruce The Artist:

Anna D. Bruce is a fine art photographer who utilizes self-portraiture as a way to bring her imagination to life. By creating imaginary characters using primarily herself, Anna is able to extend herself into a world of fairytales where anything is possible. Though the majority of her work explores the darker parts of herself, she thrives on bringing to light her personal struggles, using her art as a method for healing those struggles and showcasing that we are not as alone as we might think.

Anna was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela and is fluent in Spanish. At the age of 14, while spending a summer vacation with her family in California, her parents called to say that she would not be returning back home to Venezuela. Due to the political uncertainty in Venezuela, her parents were moving to the United States to get away. Anna did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to her family, friends and the country she knew. This event was the catalyst for her turning to photography as a way of documenting every aspect of her life. Later on, she merged her drawing and photography experiences to layer her personal photographs with her self-portraits in order to create images that feel both painterly and impossibly real.

Anna has her BA in Art and Visual Technology with Concentration on Photography from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She has been in numerous exhibitions across the United States, has been featured on public television in Virginia, Subaru’s Drive Performance magazine and in the Sony Alpha “Era of Alpha Female is Here” video.

Follow her art journey on Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

Check out our interview with Anna!

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/jBSTyVUxyhY” title=”Spectra In Your Studio with Anna D Bruce”]