Work samples
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Skunk Cabbage, No. 2Skunk Cabbage, No. 2 from the Ephemeral/Ephemerals series. On my walks following my husband's passing, I searched for and collected spring ephemerals emerging from the forest floor. I was foraging for signs of life after a difficult winter and as I navigate my new life. Using the cyano-lumen process, I dip the foraged plants in cyanotype solution and then arrange them on expired black and white photo paper found in my studio. The process is full of surprises and serendipity, and a meditation on the beauty of impermanence.
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Marsh MarigoldMarsh Marigold from the Ephemeral/Ephemerals series. On my walks following my husband's passing, I searched for and collected spring ephemerals emerging from the forest floor. I was foraging for signs of life after a difficult winter and as I navigate my new life. Using the cyano-lumen process, I dip the foraged plants in cyanotype solution and then arrange them on expired black and white photo paper found in my studio. The process is full of surprises and serendipity, and a meditation on the beauty of impermanence.
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Bloodroot, No. 2Blood Root, No. 2 from the Ephemeral/Ephemerals series. On my walks following my husband's passing, I searched for and collected spring ephemerals emerging from the forest floor. I was foraging for signs of life after a difficult winter and as I navigate my new life. Using the cyano-lumen process, I dip the foraged plants in cyanotype solution and then arrange them on expired black and white photo paper found in my studio. The process is full of surprises and serendipity, and a meditation on the beauty of impermanence.
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Skunk Cabbage, No. 1Skunk Cabbage, No. 1 from the Ephemeral/Ephemerals series. On my walks following my husband's passing, I searched for and collected spring ephemerals emerging from the forest floor. I was foraging for signs of life after a difficult winter and as I navigate my new life. Using the cyano-lumen process, I dip the foraged plants in cyanotype solution and then arrange them on expired black and white photo paper found in my studio. The process is full of surprises and serendipity, and a meditation on the beauty of impermanence.
About Karen
Karen Klinedinst is an artist using photography to explore themes of place, our response to nature, and our impact on the environment. Using digital, analog and alternative photo processes, she creates richly layered images that combine the real with the imagined.
She has exhibited at Maryland Art Place, Creative Alliance, University of Maryland Global College, Center for Photographic Arts, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (Maryland), Biggs… more
Ephemeral/Ephemerals
Using the cyano-lumen process, I dip the foraged plants in cyanotype solution and then arrange them on expired black and white photo paper found in my studio, giving this old paper new life. The photo paper is then exposed, not in a darkroom, but outside using the ultraviolet light of the sun. The cyano-lumens that result are not fixed and will eventually change over time.
The slow, meditative process of foraging for plants and the long process of exposing the paper outdoors in changing weather and lighting conditions, requires me to give up control. It is full of surprises and serendipity, and a meditation on the beauty of impermanence.
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Marsh Marigoldcyano-lumen
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Skunk Cabbage, No. 2Skunk Cabbage, No. 2 from the Ephemeral/Ephemerals series. On my walks following my husband's passing, I searched for and collected spring ephemerals emerging from the forest floor. I was foraging for signs of life after a difficult winter and as I navigate my new life. Using the cyano-lumen process, I dip the foraged plants in cyanotype solution and then arrange them on expired black and white photo paper found in my studio. The process is full of surprises and serendipity, and a meditation on the beauty of impermanence.
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Skunk Cabbage, No. 1cyano-lumen
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Spring Beauty, No. 2cyano-lumen
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Tiger Lillycyano-lumen
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Dutchman"s Britchescyano-lumen
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May Applecyano-lumen
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Blood Root, No. 2cyano-lumen
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Bloodroot, No. 1cyano-lumen
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Fern.jpgcyano-lumen
Equinox
Walking is an integral part of my creative process. During the pandemic winter, my daily walking practice became a refuge from the incredible loss we’ve experienced since March 2020.
As winter turned to spring, my daily walks took me to places I know well and frequent often. My familiarity with these places allowed for a deeper observation of the passing of time and nature’s renewal. Inspired by historical botanical illustrations of flowering trees, the Equinox series was photographed in the field by creating a makeshift studio using a backdrop to isolate the flowers. The Equinox series is a meditation on nature's beauty as a refuge from loss. As we begin to step into a post-pandemic world, may we discover signs of hope and our collective renewal.
Each image in the series is printed with archival pigments on traditional Japanese Washi Unryu paper. The long course fibers of the paper add an ethereal dimension to each print.
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Apple Blossom (Malus Domestica)archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Dogwood (Cornus Florida)archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Rhododendron (Rhododendron Maximum)archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Swamp Maple (Acer Rubrum)archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Southern Magnolia (Magnolia Grandiflora)archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia)archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron Tulipifera)Tulip Poplar, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Umbrella Magnolia (Magnolia tripetala)archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Paw Paw (Asimina Triloba)archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 13x19"
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Weeping CherryFour Weeping Cherry Blossoms, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 17x22"
Everything Passes
My daily winter walks took me to places I know well and frequent often. My familiarity with these places allowed for deeper observation. As I walked, I discovered artifacts of passing time in the snow and ice. These artifacts were photographed undisturbed as I found them, with snow and ice acting as a natural backdrop.
Inspired by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, the Everything Passes series is a meditation on loss and impermanence. It is a recognition that both life and art are beautiful not because they are perfect and eternal, but because they are imperfect and fleeting.
Each image in the series is part of a grid of nine and printed with archival pigments on traditional Japanese Kozo Unryu paper. The long course fibers of the paper add an ethereal dimension to each print.
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Everything Passes, Grid 1Everything Passes, Grid 1 from the Everything Passes series. Inspired by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, the Everything Passes series is a meditation on loss and impermanence. It is a recognition that both life and art are beautiful not because they are perfect and eternal, but because they are imperfect and fleeting.
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Everthing Passes, Grid 2Everything Passes, Grid 2
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Distressed Beech LeafDistressed Beech Leaf, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 12x12"
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Fur and ThornFur and Thorn, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 12x12"
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Fox FurFox Fur, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 12x12"
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Mountain Laurel TiaraMountain Laurel Tiara, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 12x12"
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Red Oak LeafRed Oak Leaf, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 12x12"
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Three Tulip Poplar PodsThree Tulip Poplar Pods, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 12x12"
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Sweet Gum and GrassSweet Gum and Grass, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 12x12"
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White Pine and ShadowWhite Pine and Shadow, archival pigment print on Washi Unryu paper, 12x12"
Tidal Dreams
This series was photographed at Black Marsh Natural Area on the east side of Baltimore, on property once owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company. The property was once used as a hunting preserve for the steel company’s executives. For almost a century, the Bethlehem Steel Company was one Baltimore’s biggest employers and one of the northern Chesapeake Bay’s biggest polluters; yet, they were good stewards of this particular place. When Bethlehem Steel closed, they sold the property for 5.3 million dollars to the state of Maryland.
Black Marsh Natural Area is considered one of the finest examples of a tidal marsh on the upper Chesapeake Bay, despite being surrounded by an industrial, urban environment. It’s a landscape of memories, and a reminder of what the natural landscape of Baltimore was like prior to industrialization. Climate change, rising sea levels and surrounding development threaten this fragile ecosystem home to native wetland plants and rare, threatened or endangered birds.
The series’ richly layered landscapes blur the lines between fantasy and reality. They are printed on translucent vellum and backed with white gold or silver leaf, giving the intimate prints dimension, luminosity, and a little bit of magic.
The Tidal Dreams series was exhibited in March 2019 at Project 1628 in Baltimore. Two pieces from the Tidal Dream series are part of the permanent colleaction of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.
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The Egret TrilogyThe Egret Trilogy, a trio of archival pigment prints on vellum with white gold leaf, 8.5x11" each
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The Hunterarchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 8.5x11"
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The Congregationarchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 8.5x11"
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The Scoutarchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 8.5x11"
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Late Day, Late Augustarchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 12.5x18"
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Summer's Wanearchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 12.5x18"
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Shelterarchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 12.5x18"
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All That Remainsarchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 12.5x18"
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The Edge Of Dayarchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 11x8.5"
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Remain in Lightarchival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 11x8.5"
Tidal Dreams (continued)
This series was photographed at Black Marsh Natural Area on the east side of Baltimore, on property once owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company. The property was once used as a hunting preserve for the steel company’s executives. For almost a century, the Bethlehem Steel Company was one Baltimore’s biggest employers and one of the northern Chesapeake Bay’s biggest polluters; yet, they were good stewards of this particular place. When Bethlehem Steel closed, they sold the property for 5.3 million dollars to the state of Maryland.
Black Marsh Natural Area is considered one of the finest examples of a tidal marsh on the upper Chesapeake Bay, despite being surrounded by an industrial, urban environment. It’s a landscape of memories, and a reminder of what the natural landscape of Baltimore was like prior to industrialization. Climate change, rising sea levels and surrounding development threaten this fragile ecosystem home to native wetland plants and rare, threatened or endangered birds.
The series’ richly layered landscapes blur the lines between fantasy and reality. They are printed on translucent vellum and backed with white gold or silver leaf, giving the intimate prints dimension, luminosity, and a little bit of magic.
The Tidal Dreams series was exhibited in March 2019 at Project 1628 in Baltimore.
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Winter Sonata, Nos.1-3Winter Sonata, Nos.1-3, trio of archival pigment prints on vellum with silver leaf, 8.5x11" each
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Winter Sonata, No. 1Winter Sonata, No. 1, archival pigment print on vellum and silver leaf, 8.5x11"
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Winter Sonata, No. 2Winter Sonata, No. 2, archival pigment print on vellum and silver leaf, 8.5x11"
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Winter Sonata, No. 3Winter Sonata, No. 3, archival pigment print on vellum and silver leaf, 8.5x11"
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Winter MarshWinter Marsh, archival pigment print on vellum and silver leaf, 19x13"
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The Frozen MarshThe Frozen Marsh, archival pigment print on vellum and silver leaf, 19x13"
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Along Winter's BayAlong Winter's Bay, archival pigment print on vellum and silver leaf, 19x13"
Tidal Dreams (continued)
This series was photographed at Black Marsh Natural Area on the east side of Baltimore, on property once owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company. The property was once used as a hunting preserve for the steel company’s executives. For almost a century, the Bethlehem Steel Company was one Baltimore’s biggest employers and one of the northern Chesapeake Bay’s biggest polluters; yet, they were good stewards of this particular place. When Bethlehem Steel closed, they sold the property for 5.3 million dollars to the state of Maryland.
Black Marsh Natural Area is considered one of the finest examples of a tidal marsh on the upper Chesapeake Bay, despite being surrounded by an industrial, urban environment. It’s a landscape of memories, and a reminder of what the natural landscape of Baltimore was like prior to industrialization. Climate change, rising sea levels and surrounding development threaten this fragile ecosystem home to native wetland plants and rare, threatened or endangered birds.
The series’ richly layered landscapes blur the lines between fantasy and reality. They are printed on translucent vellum and backed with white gold or silver leaf, giving the intimate prints dimension, luminosity, and a little bit of magic.
The Tidal Dreams series was exhibited in March 2019 at Project 1628 in Baltimore.
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Rites of Spring, Nos.1-3Rites of Spring, Nos. 1-3, archival pigment prints on vellum and white gold leaf, 12.5x19" each
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Rites of Spring, No. 1Rites of Spring, No. 1, archival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 12.5x19"
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Rites of Spring, No. 2Rites of Spring, No. 2, archival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 12.5x19"
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Rites of Spring, No. 3Rites of Spring, No. 3, archival pigment print on vellum and white gold leaf, 12.5x19"
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Tidal Dreams exhibit at Project 1628installation view of Tidal Dreams exhibit at Project 1628 in March 2019
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Tidal Dreams exhibit at Project 1628installation view of Tidal Dreams exhibit at Project 1628 in March 2019
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Tidal Dreams exhibit at Project 1628installation view of Tidal Dreams exhibit at Project 1628 in March 2019
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Tidal Dreams Exhibit at Project 1628installation view of Tidal Dreams exhibit at Project 1628 in March 2019
The Emotional Landscape
I draw my inspiration from 19th century landscape painting ranging from Thomas Cole, George Innes and The Hudson River School painters. Similar to these painters, I interpret the landscape and how it affects me emotionally and spiritually. My approach is not about capturing reality, but creating a neo-Romantic world reflective of my memory and imagination.
The Emotional Landscape was exhibited at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Stoneham, Massachussets from July-October 2018.
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The Emotional Landscape solo exhibition at the Griffin Museum of PhotographyInstallation photograph from The Emotional Landscape solo exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Stoneham, MA from July-October 2018.
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First Light, Platte Clovearchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 17x22""
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Shenandoah Springarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 22x17"
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Fog, Dolly Sodsarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 22x17"
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Along The Pondarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 17x17"
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Late Winter, The Beaver Pondarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 17x17"
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The Conversationarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 22x17"
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Resurrectionarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 33x17"
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Autumn, Tuckahoe Creekarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper
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Early Morning ,The Hollowarchival pigment on Bahnmühle Bamboo, 33x17"
The Emotional Landscape (continued)
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Winter, The North Meadowarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 11x11"
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Solsticearchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 11x11"
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Late Afternoon, Kent Narrowsarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 14x11"
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Autumn, Black Waterarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 14x11"
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Autumn, Cash Lake Marsharchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 14x11"
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The Red Treearchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 14x11"
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Late Afternoon, Robertson Mountainarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 13x11"
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Artist Rockarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 14x11"
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Days End, Trout Run Overlookarchival pigment print on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, 14x11"