From faces to flowers, Jeffrey Sklan is a photographic artist who makes his visions bloom. The artist says that implausible or not, “almost everything inspires me at this point. I have set it up that way. First, the obvious: unique light and beauty surrounds us in Los Angeles. I watch almost every sunrise and every sunset. There is an endless cascade of interesting faces and talented people to observe and create portraiture with.”
Sklan notes that past perceptions are coming to the forefront for him as an artist today. “Increasingly, ideas that had their roots in a moment or season years ago have been providing inspiration. It is not nostalgia, it is perspective. And that can only come with time and distance. Revisiting the work of artists who contributed to my aesthetic is a bottomless well. Likewise, the young artists with whom I collaborate or envy– so many talented people are doing beautiful and thoughtful work.”
On the same subject, it is no accident that his work seems to provide an almost musical catharsis for the viewer. It’s a visual soundtrack to joy and existence. “Music is my wellspring for emotional content,” Sklan attests.
The artist’s work has gone through many changes over the years. “For the past ten years or so, I deliberately have tried new things, new techniques, and reworked the classical portraiture styles that are my foundation. My preference is still simple, unaffected portraiture or botanicals. But, I consciously take different roads to get there and to avoid getting stale,” he explains. “Stasis is death for creativity.”
According to Sklan, he works in medium format cameras. “Mostly they are digital but film is still important for certain instances. I don’t care about the gear or the technology – the priority is actualizing my intuition.”
He is deeply involved in many upcoming projects. “I’m very excited about the next few books that are in varying stages of layout – and sharing them with a (hopefully) wide audience. Restarting my artists’ portrait project is a priority, also. Later in autumn, I will be returning to a botanical project and building out a dedicated space for it. I need to find a representative that can keep up with me,” he stresses.
Sklan describes his work as “originating in my heart, which is is my north star. Hopefully, it both resonates with others and finds new homes. Art is like a favorite meal: best when shared, not when hoarded.”
Come feast and share the artist’s stunning botanicals at Diversions Fine Arts Gallery August 1st through 30th. Opening reception is the 1st from 4-7; regular gallery hours are 12-4 Sunday-Thursday, and the closing reception will be held August 30th from 1-3. Stay tuned for information about a book sale and signng for the artist as well.
– Genie Davis; images provided by the artist