My photographic images of black and white clothing were inspired by the memory of a charcoal drawing that I once saw.  This indistinct clothing is softly rendered like a fading memory.  These clothes are well loved but seldom worn becoming metaphors for female identity.  These quirky items from my closet evoke humor, nostalgia and personal memories.

These images were created with a plastic camera and lens allowing me to produce my art without the financial constraints of an expensive camera.  The plastic camera produces this unique dreamlike quality.

I was born in San Jose, California in 1949.  I have been a California Bay Area photographer for over 45 years.  I am retired Director and Instructor of the Photography Department at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California.  I received a B.A. degree from San Jose State University and a M.A. degree from San Francisco State University.  I have exhibited my work in over 200 exhibitions worldwide.  My work has been in the collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris among many others.  I am the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship and five Polaroid Artist Support Grants including the 20x24 Polaroid Camera Grants.

Lawrie Brown