On the Edge of Innocence

Josip Artuković

The places in-between are spaces of a journey, wonder and discovery, of change, acceptance and transition. To move, to question and to come to terms with the answers is not always easy, as any journey isn't always. Nevertheless, there is a beauty the process entails, the beauty of the scenery travelled through.

Bathed by the glow of youth and the haziness of its uncertainty, subjects of Summer Wagner's photography inhabit her allegorical scenarios played out on the backdrop of nature. While trying to understand their place in today's world, they are defined by technology and politics while still holding onto sensations of youthhood.

While innocence gives its way to desire, and belief grapples with knowledge, the freshness of the spirit provides strength and keeps the hope safe. Summer represents and documents her experiences with determination and readiness to confront life's mysteries. Her frames are well formed with compositions articulating the narrative but allowing the sensory quality of the images to prevail. Tender lighting accents the poetry of staged scenes evoking cinematic feel, rightly suited for telling fantastical stories. As the influences of Francesca Woodman and Gregory Crewdson are respectfully integrated, the work achieves its autonomy and presents us with a unique expression of the artist's imagination and a reflection of individual's concerns in contemporary society.

To capture all of that in such a way, courage and honesty are needed, courage to feel and to be vulnerable and honesty to bring the most intimate of oneself out. Summer Wagner isn't afraid of not knowing, and she isn't afraid to ask and seek answers because only when searching one can find. While she is trying to understand herself and the world around her, Summer's work reminds us of the delicate nature of coming of age.