Kristin Anderson is an artist currently located in the San Francisco bay area who works largely in the medium of photography, both analog and digital. Her latest work explores themes of surrealism, the uncanny, and the discomfort of transcendence.

These images are from the series ‘Generation Alpha,’ which combines imagery from found, historic, and her own photographs to craft an imagined narrative for the youngest generation coming of age in the 21st century.

www.kristinanderson.art

What continues to motivate you to create your work?

Creating has always been a natural part of my life, whether or not I’m sharing my work with others. For me it’s not only a means of expression and communication, but also an outlet, a way to process the world, and something that brings me great joy.

Who or what influences your practice?

My earliest influences were the works of Diane Arbus, both her photographs and her biography by Patricia Bosworth. Another huge influence was Richard Avedon’s ‘In the American West,’ which inspired the view camera portraits that were a part of my MFA thesis project. I only recently realized that Jerry Ueslmann, who was a professor when I was an undergrad at the University of Florida, must have also been an influence, although subconscious, as my most recent work has come full circle to have a similar surrealist sensibility. I felt the same way when I saw Diane Arbus’ ‘Untitled,’ as it is something I came to relate to only later in life in a personal way. I am always on the lookout for these synchronicities and have learned to pay closer attention to them in both my life and my work. The artists who currently inspire me include Hank Willis-Thomas, Nick Cave, Kerry James Marshall, Karen Heagle, Jesse Mott, and Aaron Michael Skolnick, among many others.

How would you describe the mood of your work?

The mood is… moody ;). I think of this current body of work as a personal fairy tale, both unsettling and beautiful, imbued with a sense of something just beyond reach, like waking flashes of a dream. I relate it to what Freud called the uncanny - when something can be familiar and yet alien at the same time. I hope it inspires curiosity and new ways of thinking about the world.

What do you feel is the most challenging part of being an artist?

Practically, as with so much in life, the time and money part. Additionally, for me, it’s finding inspiration in the world without being pulled in too many directions by things I find interesting. I think one of the critical parts of being an artist, especially in the medium of photography which is now used in so many different ways, is finding a singular voice and crafting a clear vision that communicates something to others.

Tell us about something from your creative life that you are particularly proud of.

One of the projects that is closest to my heart is an ongoing series of photographs of my son, Jackson, who is profoundly affected by autism and largely non-verbal. Photographing him as he was growing up was flipped in meaning as his path veered from the typical into the unknown, for both him and our family. Photography was a way for me to interact with him, to try to make sense of his diagnosis and how he will be in the world. It’s helped me to process the challenges and make meaning out of something I don’t understand. I hope to share it in some form in the future in a way that might help other people and families whose lives are affected by autism.