Artist Feature | Sherri Littlefield

What first drew you to photography?

I've always liked the idea of documenting things around me. When I was in middle school, I almost always had a disposable camera on me that I would carry around. I moved when I was in middle school from Wisconsin to Florida, and it was a huge culture shock for me. I wanted to photograph my friends and surroundings because, in retrospect, I may have been worried I'd move again and lose memories.

Who are the artists that have had the most influence on your development as a photographer?

I admire artists who introduce something new into contemporary art. Artists I most admire are Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Cindy Sherman, Marina Abromovic, Kris Graves, and Guy Bourdon. Half of those artists have passed, but they've paved the way for many emerging artists today that continue to influence me. Cartier-Bresson for defending what came to be known as "the decisive moment”, Frank for his pure documentation, and most recently Graves for his unapologetic history of creating and publishing work on issues in American society and beyond. These artists have influenced me to create something beyond a "pretty picture."

What inspires you to create?

I learned early on that I didn't want to be a full-time artist, so I've balanced creating my personal art with art dealing and curating. I usually get an idea that I decide to pursue, and I experiment with that. My personal art is loosely documentary, but the projects I curate are usually collaborative and large scale. I'm inspired by events and products around me, including American consumerism, technology, and the human condition. I also want my work to be playful and humorous, so I aim for that, too.

Tell us a bit about what your creative process looks like.

I'm pretty scientific with most of my projects. I'll get an idea and organize a time to photograph some items. For my "Used" series, I photographed personal used items of mine in a commercial way. The 2020 edition has the items in a lightbox, which is a first.

There are some unplanned projects that are more documentary than others, like my "Calling Men" series where I photograph men who have catcalled me on the street, or my "Shopping" series where I photographed people in shopping malls.

What advice would you give a young photographer?

Experiment and try all of your ideas, especially the weird ones! I find a lot of photographers lose interest in photography after school is complete, so I encourage people to find a community of photographers that can continue to inspire and support them. There are great (free!) groups and Blogs like Flak Photo, Humble Art Foundation, and Women's Photo Alliance that are great platforms to exchange ideas and advice on. There are also trade organizations like American Photographic Artists and the American Society of Media Photographers that you can join to stay in the loop with. There's something for everybody, it's all about identifying that audience.

What are you working on now?

Every 5 years I revisit my "Used" series. The items photographed are things I personally own. They're used and dirty but commercially photographed. The project began in 2010, so in many ways, it's a weird self-portrait of what products I'm using on my face. As I age, more anti-wrinkle and anti-aging products appear, and things like glitter and cheap products fade. Since it's 2020 and we've been wearing face masks, I expanded the project to include used masks I've worn. I also have a large exhibition titled "Americans Looking In" currently on display at the Center For Book Arts in New York City. I'm planning an exhibition for 2021 titled "All of the Lights" with treat gallery that will hopefully be on display at an art fair in the Spring.

You can find out more about Sherri and follow her work on her website and treatgallery.org.