Amy Ragus
Artist Statement
Windmill, Auvillar, France, 2012, Digital photo collage, $1,200.00
I studied architecture in grad school at Columbia University. Although, my degree was in Fine Art, my brother Chris Ragus was at Columbia Architecture at the time, and we often visited buildings.
Growing up in NYC was also an important influence. When I moved to rural Massachusetts, my interest in architecture softened. However, my dedication to multiple perspective techniques was applied to nature-based subjects. Still, when I am confronted with a compelling architectural space, I will photograph it. I profoundly believe that architectural settings impact emotional life, and I feel their moods acutely. Certain spaces can uplift those who exist within them. Another influence on my work is the interior architecture of the automobile. Traveling within a man-made structure is one of the pleasures of modern life, and impacts how we know the world. The passage of time we experience within these moving, built, spaces is game-changing, although they are not technically "buildings."
A friend offered a tour of Auvillar, France. He said he had a great spot to show me. As we drove towards the windmill, I was able to shoot a series of frames to document this Surrealist landscape.
