I was born to a carpenter and an artist/activist/homemaker in Indiana, right smack-dab in the middle of the middle class and white America. I am number 7 of 8. On a really good day my mother called me Wendaferd. I have a sidekick, his name is Willie. On a really good day he calls me Darlin'. We have 2 children, they both have four legs. Their names are Hazel and Sugar. (8.17.12 update: Sugar is deceased. Willie bought a house in Kenosha Wisconsin, where he lives with Hazel. I still live in New York and visit them as often. I have a dog named Birdi) I have three (8.17.12 update: 4) caged birds and they still sing. I am an artist and the founder of
SUGAR. I thought I wanted to be a draftsman. I chose to explore art. I went from Indiana to Southern California, and back to Indiana. I tried Chicago and Baltimore. I wanted extreme diversity, deep tones and rich contrast. New York is a nice fit. A good challenge. A great competitor. When I create art of any medium I trust my intuitions, I am driven by the "tug and pull" effect (both physically and metaphorically).
My photographs explain what I am thinking. The image becomes a drawing of my conclusions. Within the captured moment lie my notions and opinions about the world I live. Cropping happens in the lens, eliminating unnecessary words, while enriching others that remain within the frame. My cameras are as modest and unassuming as my images, it is my intention- as are the results.
Gwendolyn Charlene Skaggs
