Scott Eiden



Observing the work of Scott Eiden yields feelings of an unknown presence. He is completely aware of space and uses it in a way that provides viewers with a clean slate, to be etched and marked with thought and emotion. I find that he manages to leave enough distance between subject and viewer so that there is no obligation to respond right away. The option to pass or to stick around and investigate is definitely made available, but more than likely, a person would be willing to engage in the mystery that inhabits these calming environments.

His image of the quaint, miniature cottage with pink interior walls reminds me of a dream that could belong to somebody else. The scale of the house seems very small compared to the vast landscape that makes up the background of the photograph. The open door is a perfect example of the inviting quality these images share, because the detection of mystery and the unknown manages to exist without a single sense of harm or danger. Light appears soft and very natural, almost hazy and dreamlike as it caresses the wooden boards and quiet landscape. This use of lighting extends over to his next image of the pale blue house with separate garage. The structures appear to float over a serene yet out-of-place body of water as time continues to pass with the environment left untouched. Seeing this image instantly reminded me of Gregory Crewdson’s woman in the flooded house, minus the eeriness and discomforting sense of death. The photograph of the interior space/living room area is just as calming but seems more arranged. Traces of human presence exist here, as well as in the last photo of the lakeside house, which is the only image of the four actually containing the presence of a person. Far away within the small window, the house’s interior lights reveal the standing figure, slightly more distinguishable than a silhouette. In fact, as small as the person appears, I feel it is the most noticeable within the darker hues of greenery, but at the same time it is not overpowering.
I admire his attention to space and feel that is something I am constantly studying.

http://www.scotteiden.com/

http://www.20x200.com/art/2008/02/opp-alabama.html

http://sonjaphotographs.blogspot.com/2009/01/scott-eiden-showing-in-milwaukee.html

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