PERSONAL NARRATIVE- Peter Bennett & Elizabeth Bailey > Personal Narrative: FIRST PLACE: DIANE FENSTER 'CHIAROSCURO OF THE HEART'
Personal Narrative: FIRST PLACE: DIANE FENSTER 'CHIAROSCURO OF THE HEART'
Diane Fenster/ Chiaroscuro of the Heart
FIRST PLACE
FIRST PLACE
DIANE FENSTER
JUROR COMMENTS:
Elizabeth Bailey wrote:
Elizabeth Bailey wrote:
"This image is clearly deeply felt, with a sense of personal meaning and emotion both conveyed and contained within it. The layering of portrait and plant material evokes a feeling of remembering or dreaming, suggesting a reflective state and the passage of time. The organic textures and color palette complement the pensive mood and draw the viewer in."
Peter Bennett wrote:
"The photograph succeeds so well because it has such a strong emotional impact as well as a visual one. It is a powerful image that captures one’s attention through its balanced composition and gentle tones, and the closed eyes of the subject and the juxtaposed imagery and textures create a depth that invite the viewer into her mind and memories."
QUESTIONS:
JURORS: "How did you create this image? Is it a double exposure?"
DIANE FENSTER: "This image is a self-portrait combined with photographs of plant material using Photoshop layers."
JURORS: "What inspired you to create this image?"
FENSTER: "Chiaroscuro Of The Heart is from my series Clothed In Widow’s Weeds. In this series I am exploring the layered emotions and memories that envelop my experience of the loss of my husband."
JURORS: What influences your work?"
FENSTER: "Many of my projects are responses to personal experiences or emotional states — for example, A Long History Of Dark Sleep, self-portraits made during the pandemic that explore anxiety and insomnia. These self-reflective works inform my ongoing interest in fundamental human issues and influences how I approach subject matter.
I see myself as an “alchemist,” blending digital tools with alternative and experimental photographic processes (e.g., toy cameras, Polaroid pack film, lumen printing, transparency transfers) to push beyond straight photography. These methods influence not just how my images look, but also what they mean — with materials and process acting as metaphors for themes like memory, fragility, loss, and transformation.
My work is often described as literary and emotional, layered with symbols and metaphors that suggest stories, inner states, and psychological landscapes rather than literal representation. This narrative approach comes from my interest in combining elements (images, writing, themes) to build visual meaning, often in ways that resemble poetic or symbolic storytelling."
JURORS: "Do you have a theme you return to?"
FENSTER: "My work deeply explores fundamental human conditions — memory, emotion, identity, psychological states, and life transitions. My images often are introspective, emotional, and symbolic rather than purely representational."
JURORS: "Is this image tied to a specific memory for you, or is it a more general representation of the the process of memory?"
FENSTER: "This image, as well as the entire Widow’s Weeds series references the emotional turmoil of being my husband’s caregiver and his subsequent death."
JURORS: "Did you shoot the added elements for this image, or were they from photos you already had?"
FENSTER: The plant material was collected and photographed specifically for this series."
MORE ABOUT DIANE FENSTER:
Diane Fenster says, "In Clothed in Widow’s Weeds, I explore the layered emotions and memories that envelop the experience of loss. Through my imagery, I seek to give form to the silent mourning, the tangled grief, and the resilience found within the depths of sorrow. The title references traditional mourning attire, symbolizing both society’s expectations and personal rituals of grief.QUESTIONS:
JURORS: "How did you create this image? Is it a double exposure?"
DIANE FENSTER: "This image is a self-portrait combined with photographs of plant material using Photoshop layers."
JURORS: "What inspired you to create this image?"
FENSTER: "Chiaroscuro Of The Heart is from my series Clothed In Widow’s Weeds. In this series I am exploring the layered emotions and memories that envelop my experience of the loss of my husband."
JURORS: What influences your work?"
FENSTER: "Many of my projects are responses to personal experiences or emotional states — for example, A Long History Of Dark Sleep, self-portraits made during the pandemic that explore anxiety and insomnia. These self-reflective works inform my ongoing interest in fundamental human issues and influences how I approach subject matter.
I see myself as an “alchemist,” blending digital tools with alternative and experimental photographic processes (e.g., toy cameras, Polaroid pack film, lumen printing, transparency transfers) to push beyond straight photography. These methods influence not just how my images look, but also what they mean — with materials and process acting as metaphors for themes like memory, fragility, loss, and transformation.
My work is often described as literary and emotional, layered with symbols and metaphors that suggest stories, inner states, and psychological landscapes rather than literal representation. This narrative approach comes from my interest in combining elements (images, writing, themes) to build visual meaning, often in ways that resemble poetic or symbolic storytelling."
JURORS: "Do you have a theme you return to?"
FENSTER: "My work deeply explores fundamental human conditions — memory, emotion, identity, psychological states, and life transitions. My images often are introspective, emotional, and symbolic rather than purely representational."
JURORS: "Is this image tied to a specific memory for you, or is it a more general representation of the the process of memory?"
FENSTER: "This image, as well as the entire Widow’s Weeds series references the emotional turmoil of being my husband’s caregiver and his subsequent death."
JURORS: "Did you shoot the added elements for this image, or were they from photos you already had?"
FENSTER: The plant material was collected and photographed specifically for this series."
MORE ABOUT DIANE FENSTER:
My work captures moments of vulnerability and transcendence—delicate textures, somber tones, and symbolic elements that evoke the presence of my husband even in his absence. These images serve as both a tribute and a confrontation with mortality, illustrating the complex dance between despair and hope.
Ultimately, this body of work is a reflection on love’s enduring imprint and the process of healing that unfolds in the shadow of loss. Through photography/symbolism using weeds from our garden and our future gravesite and layered composition, I aim to connect viewers with universal experiences of mourning, while honoring my personal journey through grief.
Self-taught photographer exhibiting since 1990. I view myself as an alchemist, using digital, alternative processes, and traditional photographic tools to delve into fundamental human issues. My work is literary and emotional, full of symbolism and multiple layers of meaning.
My images have appeared in numerous publications on photography digital art. I've been a guest lecturer at many seminars and conferences, internationally exhibited and a part of museum, corporate and private collections.
In 2001 I was the first artist inducted into the Adobe Photoshop Hall Of Fame. My work appears in the APERTURE monograph METAMORPHOSES: PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE ELECTRONIC AGE, WOMEN, ART AND TECHNOLOGY published by MIT press, and ART IN THE DIGITAL AGE edited by Bruce Wands, School of Visual Art, NYC.
My images have appeared in numerous publications on photography digital art. I've been a guest lecturer at many seminars and conferences, internationally exhibited and a part of museum, corporate and private collections.
In 2001 I was the first artist inducted into the Adobe Photoshop Hall Of Fame. My work appears in the APERTURE monograph METAMORPHOSES: PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE ELECTRONIC AGE, WOMEN, ART AND TECHNOLOGY published by MIT press, and ART IN THE DIGITAL AGE edited by Bruce Wands, School of Visual Art, NYC.
Recent recognition includes inclusion in Photolucida’s Critical Mass Top 200 in 2025 and 2022.
IMAGES FOR SALE-
All images 11"H x 14” W
Chromogenic print
$400 unframed
Limited edition of 5 plus 1AP
Signed on back
Contact: Diane Fenster diane@dianefenster.com
All images 11"H x 14” W
Chromogenic print
$400 unframed
Limited edition of 5 plus 1AP
Signed on back
Contact: Diane Fenster diane@dianefenster.com
PERSONAL NARRATIVE HOME:
FIRST PLACE:
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
BEST SERIES:
EXHIBITION #1:
EXHIBITION #2:
