To contact the artist for more information: [email protected]
Artist information
I grew up in Los Angeles, and currently live in the Bay Area. Art has been an integral part of my life—whether it be music, dance, or the visual arts—since I was a young child. I was introduced to photography by my father, who documented with photos every birthday and family camping trip. As a teenager, I began modeling for artists and photographers, and later had fun engaging in street performance in Hollywood. However, I quickly became enamored with being behind the camera lens instead of in front of it. I bought my first camera from a flea market vendor—a 1954 Rolliflex.
I was influenced by the classic California black and white photographers such as Wynn bullock, Edward Weston, and Ansel Adams. I was also fortunate to be introduced to, and surrounded by, many of LA’s fine art photographers who were pushing the boundaries of image making. In addition to studying independently with local photographers, I attended classes at California State University Northridge, UCLA, University of Florida, and more recently at Sonoma State University. I also spent years working in professional photography stores and custom printing labs, and worked as a private lab, studio, and photography assistant. When I moved to Northern California, I did not have access to a darkroom for many years. I found satisfaction in creating mixed media pieces, but what I missed most was the magical experience of watching an image appear on a blank sheet of paper while submerged in chemicals.
My love of photography continued through a variety of jobs, and I tried to find ways to incorporate this interest whether I was teaching, mentoring, or working and volunteering in non-profit organizations.
In 2002 I received my Masters Degree from Prescott College, in Prescott, Arizona. I chose this program because it allowed me to combine two of my passions, social justice work and photography. What I still love most about photography is the potential, and the challenge, to make imagination and emotions visible.
Recently I have added digital-based images to my collective body of work. The content of my images includes landscapes, water reflections, Pomo Youth Dancers, and several series that explore sexual assault, battering, and child abuse. Sometimes I’ve combined images and text with installation pieces, and I enjoy the quirky juxtaposition of pictures, both black and white and color, when creating 3-D photo collages.
All images © 2024 Christine Cobaugh. All rights reserved.
I was influenced by the classic California black and white photographers such as Wynn bullock, Edward Weston, and Ansel Adams. I was also fortunate to be introduced to, and surrounded by, many of LA’s fine art photographers who were pushing the boundaries of image making. In addition to studying independently with local photographers, I attended classes at California State University Northridge, UCLA, University of Florida, and more recently at Sonoma State University. I also spent years working in professional photography stores and custom printing labs, and worked as a private lab, studio, and photography assistant. When I moved to Northern California, I did not have access to a darkroom for many years. I found satisfaction in creating mixed media pieces, but what I missed most was the magical experience of watching an image appear on a blank sheet of paper while submerged in chemicals.
My love of photography continued through a variety of jobs, and I tried to find ways to incorporate this interest whether I was teaching, mentoring, or working and volunteering in non-profit organizations.
In 2002 I received my Masters Degree from Prescott College, in Prescott, Arizona. I chose this program because it allowed me to combine two of my passions, social justice work and photography. What I still love most about photography is the potential, and the challenge, to make imagination and emotions visible.
Recently I have added digital-based images to my collective body of work. The content of my images includes landscapes, water reflections, Pomo Youth Dancers, and several series that explore sexual assault, battering, and child abuse. Sometimes I’ve combined images and text with installation pieces, and I enjoy the quirky juxtaposition of pictures, both black and white and color, when creating 3-D photo collages.
All images © 2024 Christine Cobaugh. All rights reserved.