Allied Arts is hosting the “Obscura” exhibit throughout March to spotlight local photographer Paige Griffin.
“I have been a photographer for as long as I can remember. I can recall taking a picture of my 1996 Atlanta Olympic Barbie with a point-and-shoot disposable camera, so my interest in photography began at an early age,” said Griffin.
Though Griffin has an interest in many art forms she chooses to focus on digital media and photography.
“I was initially led to photography because my dad had cameras and would take pictures on trips to the mountains. As I got older, I would borrow my dad's digital camera to take pictures until I received my very own DSLR camera in high school.”
The exhibit description emphasizes Griffin’s love for “creating long exposure photographs to capture surreal images.” The term “long exposure” refers to Griffin's ability to create a layered appearance during one photograph in-camera without any additions in post production. Surreal imagery “typically depict things not seen in real life.”
“Oftentimes, surreal images have dream-like and strange qualities,” said Griffin. “Obscura captures the overall mood of the exhibit: dark, obscure, unknown. I hope people will take the time to stop, question, and think. I want viewers to be curious and come up with their own narratives for what is going on in my work.”
Griffin became connected with Allied Arts during her time as the visual arts coordinator at The Life Enrichment Center, a local nonprofit organization for adults with intellectual disabilities living in and around the Baldwin County area.
“Some of the artists I worked with at the time had their art displayed at the Marlor House,” said Griffin. “In the last couple of years, I had the opportunity to teach a photography class and to have my own artwork displayed at Allied Arts for the Oconee Artist Exhibition, the Big Click Photo Exhibit & Contest, and the Haunted Milledgeville Exhibit.”
This is Griffin’s first solo exhibit. For her, the most challenging part of preparation was coordinating photoshoots in between working full-time and her motherly duties.
“My first exhibition was for my senior capstone at GCSU. It was a group exhibition which showcased a large number of graduating seniors' artwork.
My contribution was a series of digital photographs featuring multiple perspectives within a single image through the use of mirrors in nature. Since graduating college, I have displayed work at Allied Arts, the Georgia National Fair, and Georgia College & State University,” said Griffin. “Honestly, this solo exhibit was a major goal that I made for myself. It feels amazing to have support from my husband, friends, and family to make this dream come true.”
Griffin plans to continue submitting new work to Allied Arts and the Georgia National Fair but stated she has no major goals for her photography career.