Juniper Art Gallery has not featured photography before, but Owner Jaime Sweany has often been asked if she is an artist and "Do you have any work here?" As some of you know, she's had photographs hanging in the gallery's restroom, and that's often gotten a giggle from the inquiring folk.
But seriously, before being a gallerist, Sweany was an avid photographer, concentrating mostly on portraiture due to her fascination with faces. She ran Illuminessence Photography from 1990-2005. After photo shoots, she spent countless hours in her darkroom watching the magic happen as she developed her black & white film.
Sweany concentrated on both photography and hand-built ceramic artwork while attending Indiana University, receiving her B.A. in Studio Arts. She loved the fact that the two art forms she enjoyed the most were opposite. Ceramics felt like wild abandon, playing in the mud of creativity, and photography required that not a speck of dust was present in the darkroom- such drastically different work environments!
This exhibit, "Through My Own Eyes," includes many portraits from Sweany's 1990's body of work, "REAL: Beautiful Women." The culture of the day seemed to only appreciate the stereotypical beauty of youth and left many women feeling unseen. This project highlighted the inner and outer beauty of women of all ages, sizes, ethnicities, and demographics.
Note: none of the works in this exhibit are for purchase, but Ms. Sweany wishes to share her artwork with others while Juniper still serves as a platform.