1st place
gold star award
Loreal Prystaj
united states 
Photo © Loreal Prystaj
title
Refecting on Nature ( Hámeenkyrö, Finland 2016)
I wanted to show this idea somehow in a way that was unique. Rather than placing people “harmonically” or “naturally” (nude) in nature, doing something different appealed to me. While pondering this thought I came across one mirror after the other throughout the day...
I asked myself simply, what is a mirror? Yes, a reflective surface, but why do people use mirrors? Do you look in the mirror? How often? What do you see? Is it the small details you notice about yourself? Are they good? bad? Are your accentuating them? Getting rid of them? Would you change anything? What would you change?
Often times, mirrors are used to emphasize the minute details, but rarely used to look at the big picture. What if nature looked at itself? What would it see? What would we be? Would our identity stand out or would we be a small detail? Would nature change us? Would we be a beauty mark or a blemish? Accentuated? Concealed?
With observing nature’s schedule and landscapes, I placed myself in it's environments while nature looked at itself in the mirror.
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entry description
There is no such thing as compromising with nature; we simply abide to how it lives, and exist as a part of it. Nature is very relevant to each individual’s well-being, but more so than it is part of us, we are part of it.I wanted to show this idea somehow in a way that was unique. Rather than placing people “harmonically” or “naturally” (nude) in nature, doing something different appealed to me. While pondering this thought I came across one mirror after the other throughout the day...
I asked myself simply, what is a mirror? Yes, a reflective surface, but why do people use mirrors? Do you look in the mirror? How often? What do you see? Is it the small details you notice about yourself? Are they good? bad? Are your accentuating them? Getting rid of them? Would you change anything? What would you change?
Often times, mirrors are used to emphasize the minute details, but rarely used to look at the big picture. What if nature looked at itself? What would it see? What would we be? Would our identity stand out or would we be a small detail? Would nature change us? Would we be a beauty mark or a blemish? Accentuated? Concealed?
With observing nature’s schedule and landscapes, I placed myself in it's environments while nature looked at itself in the mirror.
about the photographer
Loreal Prystaj is a visual artist based in New York City. Her work often times exposes the relationship between time and space, with a juxtaposition of the human form and it’s environment. She expresses ideas through using photography as her base medium and expands ideas through video, installation, performance, and interactive pieces. Often time’s nature is implemented in her work, and symbolism is used in order to find the animate in the inanimate and to break the animate down to its essential components. Prystaj’s archive of work has led to speaking at accredited universities, alongside with being selected to speak at photography events internationally. While being actively represented in numerous galleries throughout New York City, her work has been exhibited around the world and published internationally.back to gallery
