“I think we’re just ferocious visual beings.”

May is National Photography Month, and we’re celebrating photographers who work in New Jersey. Over on the Film & Photography section of our website, you can hear from artists such as Edwin Torres, Helen M. Stummer, Todd R. Darling, and many more.

In 2015, we joined Linda Troeller in Lakewood to watch her process and converse about self-reflection through art-making. Originally working as a model for photographers such as Eikoh Hosoe and Lucien Clergue, Troeller stepped behind the camera and embarked on a prolific photographic journey that continues to evolve.

Linda Troeller, Self-Portrait. San Jose Purua Hot Springs, Mexico, 1976

Linda Troeller, Self-Portrait. San Jose Purua Hot Springs, Mexico, 1976

 

When vandals destroyed one of her exhibitions, Troeller turned to the camera to capture and explore her emotional distress. Since then, self-portraiture has been a pivotal element of her oeuvre. “[It] became a kind of therapeutic endeavor, in a way,” she reflects. For instance, the photo above was taken as she reacted to a breakup—an image that was included in her award-winning photo book Healing Waters.

“You can really use the camera as a lens on yourself,” she tells us. “It’s part of our psychological makeup to want to know ourselves.”

You can follow Linda Troeller’s current projects over on her website!