I initiated the Glasshouse of New Americans project to explore the new immigrant experience, specifically people that decided to come to the USA from the 1960’s onward. They had the bravery needed to pick up and leave one’s homeland no matter what period of time.
Although current modes of transportation have improved, immigrating remains filled with challenges. My goal was to communicate concepts of heritage and immigrant hardship into tangible forms by utilizing a process from another period of time when other new immigrants were also being photographically documented.
A three-dimensional glass house was made from old windows, their distressed exteriors echoing the hardship of what it means to be an immigrant. The structure shares the ghost-like fragility of the glass panels that support the portraits I made using wet-plate collodion, a 150 year-old photographic technique. The use of collodion technique represents the precarious nature of the immigration process itself.
The old adage “those in glass houses should not throw stones” resonates once one looks into the eyes of the New Americans to realize that we are all immigrants. It is this understanding and awareness of heritage and personal history that is key to a more empathetic and compassionate future.
“…this ever evolving diversity challenges the idea of a single dominant vision of the American identity, encouraging Americans to embrace inclusion and pluralism.” – Ellis Island Museum, New York City.
Artist Bios
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Jill Enfield
Jill Enfield is a fine art photographer, educator, curator and author. Her concentration is historical techniques and alternative processes, with annual workshops and lectures in locations around the world.
Her two books: Photo Imaging: A Complete Guide To Alternative Processes was published by Watson-Guptill in 2002 and Jill Enfield’s Guide to Photographic Alternative Processes: Popular Historical and Contemporary Techniques was published by Focal Press in 2013, both are both award winning works and used in schools all over the world. Jill’s third book has a 2019 publication date by Focal Press. Like the others, it will include step-by-step instructions on a variety of historical and alternative process techniques.
Jill’s work has also been chosen to be on book covers as well as magazines and websites. She has shown her work throughout the USA and Europe and recently had a three month solo show where her Glasshouses of New Americans installation was exhibited at Photoville NYC which was covered in The New York Times..
A 3-minute project concept video, Jill Enfield Ellis Island Installation, is available on YouTube.
Organizations
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Photoville
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
Glasshouse of New Americans
Featuring: Jill Enfield
Locations
View Location Details Annenberg Space for PhotographyCentury Park,
2000 Avenue of the Stars Los Angeles,
CA 90067
Location open 24 hours
