Recession Art

In anticipation of our October 3 opening, we’ve asked the No Money No Problems artists about their work and how they are influenced by the economic slump. Here’s what Lisbeth Kaufman had to say:

Lisbeth Kaufman is a photographer living in New York. She recently graduated from Yale University where she studied Chinese and spent time working and taking pictures in China. She has held a variety of positions including video store clerk, mutant child, and research analyst for a fortune 500 company. Her true love is photography. Some of her favorite subjects include the small of men’s backs and spoons.

What can you tell us about your work in No Money No Problems?

The work I’m showing at NMNP are photographs I’ve taken over the past two years. I’ve been exploring the appeal of the grotesque, particularly the simultaneous feelings of revulsion and attraction it can evoke. I use a 4×5 view camera to look intensely at still things until they reveal themselves as strange and interesting. With a 35mm camera I try to capture odd moments, flashing through everyday activity. I originally envisioned the photographs as individual pieces, but while arranging them for this show I realized they come together into some kind of evidence, like snap shots from the scene of a crime.

What keeps you going as an artist through economic hardship?

Taking pictures makes me feel good. So when I get nervous or worried about the recession and job instability, I make photographs to calm myself down. Plus, I like limits and boundaries. They force me to think creatively in order to maneuver around them. The recession is just another boundary.