An Moment With Mary Conlon

Photographer Mary Conlon has been an avid photo student at Mason Gross for the past several years. She explores shooting in natural lighting often with candid figures as her subjects. She also has a strong interest in many conceptual components of her work. Recently, Mary traveled to Spain where she created an impressive body of work. After viewing this work I asked her a few questions.

Taos: Did you like the graffiti in Spain?
Mary: I like to take pictures of things on wall, signs, graffiti, but at the same time I feel kind of weird taking pictures of art. I often find myself taking pictures in museums, not of the artwork, but how people interact with the work.  


Taos: You are a photo major; have you always know you wanted that to be your artistic concentration?  
Mary: I actually started off taking video classes, but I figured photography was a better concentration.  


Taos: What drew you to photography over video? 
Mary: Video has so many more components than photography, sound and dialog, and photography one is just focusing on the cinemagraphic aspect, so I feel that allowed me to really focus the visual aesthetic quality of things. I enjoy making videos but it’s not something I’m as much drawn to. I like taking pictures of people, but not necessarily normal portraits, more of people who aren’t paying attention.  


Taos: So its fair to say you enjoy candid portraits? What draws you to these types of shots?  
Mary: I like natural lighting, real people in real environments. I look for odd situations with weird lightly. I think even though my concentration is photography, I often try to incorporate other aspects of art as well. I think a lot about drawing when I take pictures.

Taos: What makes you think about drawing when you are taking a photo? 
Mary: What I like about drawing is it’s a method, a certain system to fallow. I don’t like to draw actual things but like to draw in a system almost. I really like grid like drawings, and the work of Jonny Wynona Ross.  


Taos: So I notice you have all these shots of shadows and you mentioned you like to use natural lighting. What is your draw to that?  
Mary: I usually keep my photos how they are, opposed to cropping them. I enjoy the compassion of this type of lighting. I try to find places that are lit in an eerie sort of way, so that when you look at the photograph it appears strange to the viewer. 

Taos: You said before that you like to use photo shop to adjust the lighting?
Mary: I definitely use Photoshop to adjust the levels of the contrast and what not, but I really don’t like to alter the actual shoot. Its strange it feels like what I am inspired by is more not even photographs but concepts.  


Taos: What are these concepts that you are trying to adjust?  
Mary: I really like the idea of isolation, nostalgia, is a big thing for me, as well as memory and perception. I really like paintings my Edward hopper. I like the atmosphere that the painters paint, not so much what they are trying to convey, rather the general tone of the pictures, the color.  


Taos: Is that that something you strive for in your photos?  
Mary: Yea, and although I don’t paint, I take a lot of influence from painters. 


Taos: Besides actual fine artist, what are your influences outside of the art world?  
Mary: I’ve actually always in influenced by J.D. Salinger, and his short stories, and I found that when I was making my videos, I was taking my influence from reading his stories, and it’s always been like that with books for me. I like to visualize the work I’m reading. I like film a lot and have been studying that here at rutgers too, and again it’s the cinematography of films that inspires my photos. But I’m trying to get away from just plain photography and bring it to the next level.  


Taos: So are you interested in installation work then? 
Mary: Yea I am. I’ve been looking at light installations, like Dan Flavin. I have been getting into the idea of photography not just on paper, but maybe holographic or a projection. I also like installation work by Alex Aycock. Mathew barney, is also one on my favorite artist. I like how art for him is almost like a preformative tool.  


Taos: Is there a particular direction you envision your art heading over the course of the next year?  
Mary: I’m kind of interested in exploring New Brunswick as a subject. Having just been in Spain, I am also interested in speaking Spanish, so I’m hoping to look into the history of the Mexican population that lives here.