Off

Natalie Cartwright

Off

March 1 - April 13, 2002

Opening Reception: March 1, 2002, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Natalie Cartwright’s photographs deal with embarrassing moments--moments of failure. Off consists of a half dozen of these moments perfectly frozen in time with crisp edges and saturated color. In these photographs the artist poses as the protagonist in a series of mini-dramas where, in each, an accident has just occurred. In one photograph, she is being assisted out of a pool--her dress soaking wet and her hand covering her face. In another, she clings to a vase of dying flowers as tears well in her pleading eyes. These photographs explore what is essential about being caught off guard. Her inquiry begins with the physical sensation of embarrassment, the churning stomach and blushing skin. She wants to capture the look that accompanies these physical reactions. Her photographs reside in place between fantasy and reality--a place where she recreates these small moments of vulnerability as a way to examine what is beyond her control.