Shawna Hanel

Search terms: photo, photography, C type print, social, environment

About the Artist

"A visual thinker, I took to photography early. Since the tender age of nine, when my parents brought home a black plastic Kodak Instamatic, I have been developing an aesthetic sense."

"At first I was interested mostly in colour, shape and form. As I grew more aware of the planet we inhabit, environmental themes crept into my work. The relentless sea of shopping sacks we often find ourselves floating amid usually produces in me a feeling of melancholy, but the glorious bags below speak to me of the contradictions inherent in our lives. Though the triptych is grounded in concern about pollution, it is also a reminder that sometimes all it takes is a touch of light, a different perspective, or even simply a silent smile to turn the tragic into the triumphant."

"After living in several developing countries, I began to understand the magnitude of human suffering throughout our world. Eventually, I saw my photographs as a way to constructively address issues of social justice and equality. In the past, I focused on what it means to be a white person. More recently, I have taken a frank look at personal consumption habits and their relationship to recent American foreign policy."

"In our troubled times, it is no longer enough for me to make art void of moral consciousness or art that carries no responsibility. We must accept once more that vision is a social practice intrinsic to our existence and ultimately to our abilities to empathize with the existence of others. Today, I ask as Henry David Thoreau did over a century ago, 'Could a greater thing take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?'"
Shawna Hanel