PHOTOGRAPHY
JULIE
WILLIAMS-KRISHNAN
A
Photographer’s Journey Through Time and Light
Day by day, moment by
moment, with both intention and divine happenstance, we move toward that person
that we are meant to be. We are, and we are becoming, at the same time. For me,
connecting with that authentic artist inside me, that photographer who sees
images all day long in her mind, has been a process of learning to trust
myself, to see myself, to believe in myself, and very importantly, to make time
for myself. What has been very important for me to come to understand is that
my creative voice offers something meaningful to the world, and only I can say
it in that unique way.
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My journey as an
artist and photographer has tendrils to my childhood, but my coming of age as
an artist was much later. I was raised in central Pennsylvania (USA), in a
rural and working-class area, and art was not experienced or valued in a
significant way. Like many of my generation, I had a point and shoot film
camera and I enjoyed photographing my friends and family. When I was about 15
years old, I learned about French Impressionism from Mrs. Vanderhoof, a
volunteer art teacher at school, and I was hooked on art. I started taking
photographs of the nearby jewelry store sign covered in snow and the ice mounds
as they built up on the river that snaked by our home. I wanted to study photography
in college, but we could not afford the camera that was required to take the
program.
“The Threshing Place”
is a body of work that was inspired by my upbringing. My mother taught Bible
stories to children and I inherited her archive of teaching materials. Years
later, I used that material to tell another story, one that weaves in my personal
narrative as subtext. Most of the images are photographed in London in the
Unitarian chapel where my husband and I were married. The final five images
were taken in my hometown against the windows of the basement of the church
where I went to school.
Washington DC
After college, I moved
to Washington, DC. It was my first time living in a city. Every weekend I
visited art galleries like the Smithsonian Institute, The Hirshhorn Museum and
Sculpture Garden, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection,
the Corcoran Gallery of Art. I fell in love with art and dreamt of having my
work on the walls. The first large photography exhibition I saw was Annie
Leibovitz’s portrait retrospective and I was amazed at how she portrayed her
subjects. To this day, those images stand out in my mind. All this art
exploration and self-discovery helped immerse me in the ways of seeing, of
representing, and of interpreting. I invested in a serious film camera with
some manual functionality and I started photographing the city and my life more
intentionally.
London
I moved to London, UK
in my late 20s, initially as an English literature graduate student and then I
worked at a university for a number of years as an international admissions
officer. I always travelled with a camera and many rolls of film! One of my students
from Nepal, Hom, and I became friends. Hom needed an old motorcycle to get
around London to make pizza deliveries and I needed a more serious camera to
pursue my ever-growing photography passion. He had an Olympus manual camera
that he no longer needed and I happened to have a non-functioning motorcycle
that needed some repairs, so we did a swap! I signed up for a photography class
at the university where I worked and started shooting with my “new” camera. I
exhibited my first print at the end of that first class.
Somewhere along the
way, I realized that I was taking about 1000 photographs a day in my mind. I
was seeing the world as a photographer, even when I did not have a camera in my
hand. I bought my first digital SLR camera, I built a portfolio, and I pursued
my MA in Photographic Studies at The University of Westminster in London. There
I learned about the work of some of my photographic influences, such as Cindy
Sherman, Nan Goldin, Jeff Wall, Stephen Gill, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, to
name a few. The MA program solidified my love of photography, taught me so much
more about the language of imagery, and made me believe in myself as a
photographer.
Since then, the
journey has been about learning to flex my photography muscles, and I have been
able to do so in a variety of ways. I started freelance work for a media
company that made huge billboards and I photographed their installations around
London. I also assisted a food photographer, photographed events, and did some
editorial assignments (for my friend Hom, who started a magazine!) and some
portrait photography. I also exhibited my work around London and Oxford. I also
taught photography at the university where I had worked in admissions. Being an
artist can be a solo practice, but it does not have to be a lonely practice,
and I have found it very important to stay connected to other artists and to
trust them to give honest feedback and to provide mutual support. I started a
monthly group for my artist friends so we could support each other. It was
called “The Flying Eggs,” named after the Ethiopian proverb “Given the time,
even an egg can fly.” I even did a photography project called “Learning to Fly”
in which I wore angel wings and repeatedly jumped off a bench on Hampstead
Heath.
London was a launchpad
for me in so many ways, including photography and travel. Much of my urban work
was done during these travels. I made a series titled “Between Towns” because I
was photographing details of urban life rather than the obvious icons of the
cities I was visiting.
Boston
In 2010 Sanjay and I
moved to the Boston area. I accepted a consulting job in higher education and
decided to focus on fine art photography rather than commercial photography.
This was a pivotal decision for me. In addition to the consulting work, I set up
a small studio, first at home and then in an artist building. I also worked
part-time for several years as the director of programs at the Griffin Museum
of Photography, which connected me to fine art photographers across the US and
elsewhere. I learned about many different approaches to photography, got
involved in portfolio reviews, and helped run photography classes, lectures,
and events. I continue to make my own photographic art and submit work to shows
and reviews. I also am part of a salon group of very talented female
photographers and we support each other in our practice. I also started
teaching photography classes and workshops, which I love to do. All these
activities keep motivated as a photographer and artist.
Chennai
Another very important
city in my life is Chennai, India. When I lived in London, I met and married
Sanjay, who is from Chennai. We have spent much time there over our 20 plus
years together. When visiting the family home and places important to our family,
I use my camera to observe and investigate, as well as find my place within the
family and in a culture so different from mine.
My personal
photographic work is narrative and autobiographical. Work I have made in
Chennai is about my relationship to my husband’s family. In my series “The
Bindi Collection” I photographed my mother-in-law’s bindis across many years.
In “Morning Poetry” I photographed the family home on one regular morning. In
“The Third Eye” I photographed Tamil soap operas, seeking moments of tension
between scenes that layered together stories.
In 2020, when the
pandemic hit, the consulting work went quiet for a while and I decided to see
what commercial work I might do in photography. I was hired as a real estate
photographer and learned a whole new genre of photography. I have continued to
do that work part-time and I enjoy telling the story of the space where people
make their dwelling. It has been profitable and enjoyable work. I am also
learning to be a food photographer and look forward to entering that field
soon.
Cities are an
inspiration to me. They are both a place to live and a place to play. They are where ideas and people come
together, where you can seek out your own interests and passions, where you can
be as anonymous or as flamboyant as you wish. If you are curious, you can meet
strangers who lead you to new lives. You meet ideas that take you new
destinations. You learn about the gritty and the glamourous. I have been
fortunate to visit many cities throughout the world, and while each has its own
identity, there are common threads that make urban life stimulating. As a
photographer, I seek to observe and celebrate meaningful moments, and the city
is a delightful playground in which to photograph. Cities allow you to reinvent
yourself without judgement, and I have taken advantage of the opportunity to
evolve and grow in each city in which I have lived.
“I am a photographer.”
The power those words have for me is immense. For so many years, it was a
far-away aspiration, but now, photography is my language, it is part of what I
do and who I am. It is not a journey I did alone. My husband, Sanjay, is my biggest
supporter, and I am so grateful to him and for the many family members, mentors
and teachers along the way. I also have a wonderful group of photographer and
artist friends upon whom I rely for support and encouragement. I have learned
that if I am not doing something related to photography, even if it just a
small part of my day or week, it is as if a light has turned off inside of me.
When I am making work, and I am connected to photography and photographers, my
creative self is fulfilled and the spark is lit.
Julie Williams-Krishnan is a fine art and freelance
photographer, artist, and educator who teaches photography and leads workshops
at university and community level. Julie served as the Director of Programs at
the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, Massachusetts (USA) for five
years. She has served a juror for the Somerville Arts Council and the
Winchester Public Schools, a committee member for FlashPoint Boston photography
festival, and on the committee for the Renaissance Photography Prize, an
international photography competition that raises money to support younger
women with breast cancer. Julie’s personal photographic practice investigates
identity and personal narrative. She has exhibited her photographs at Melrose
Tiny Gallery, The Sanctuary, Cambridge Art Association, the Griffin Museum of
Photography, the Khaki Gallery, and Zullo Gallery in the Boston region, the
Colson Gallery in Easthampton, Massachusetts, and The Center for Fine Art
Photography in Colorado, A. Smithson Gallery in Texas, as well as other venues
in Boston, London, and Oxford. She has also been included in online exhibitions
with “Don’t Take Pictures” and “Lenscratch.” She earned her MA in Photographic
Studies from the University of Westminster in London, UK. Based in Boston
Massachusetts (USA) since 2010, Julie lived in London (UK) for more than 16
years and has traveled to more than 75 countries. She lives in a multi-cultural
family and travels regularly to India. Learn more about Julie’s work at
www.jwkphotography.com and on Instagram.
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