Connie Imboden

Connie Imboden is an American photographer best known for her work photographing the nude in reflections in water and mirrors. Her photographs are represented in many permanent collections including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Bibliothèque Nationales in Paris, France, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany as well as many other public and private collections throughout Europe and the Americas.
Throughout the years, Imboden has shown her work in an extensive range of group and solo shows at galleries and museums throughout the United States, South America, Europe and China.
Connie Imboden’s first book, entitled “Out of Darkness” with essays by Charles– Henri Favrod and A.D. Coleman, won the Silver Medal in Switzerland’s “Schonste Bucher Aus Aller Welt (Most Beautiful Book in the World)” Award in 1993.
Following the success of “Out of Darkness”, Imboden released two monographs in 1999. The first, “Beauty of Darkness”, features 80 images of her work produced between 1986 and 1998. It also featured introductions by A.D. Coleman and Arthur Ollman. The second book, “The Raw Seduction of Flesh”, features work produced in 1998 and an introduction by Mitchell Snow.
Her most recent monograph, “Reflections; 25 Years of Photography”, was published in 2009 by Insight Editions with essays by Arthur Ollman, Julian Cox and John Wood.
Throughout the years, Imboden has continued to teach and inspire colleagues and students alike in her quest to push the photographic medium to its highest level. She currently teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where her experience as a photographer began. Connie has also served as an instructor at The Maine Photographic Workshops, The International Center for Photography in New York City, the Center for Photography in Woodstock, Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie in France, and The Sante Fe Photographic Workshops.

Early self-portrait by Connie Imboden

Imboden was introduced to photography during the summer following her junior year in high school when she enrolled in a Basic Photography course at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Having previously shown no interest in art, she was inspired by the penetrating work of Diane Arbus and the potential for expression through photography. It quickly became a passionate pursuit that would last a lifetime.

Experimenting with negatives by cutting, scratching, and melting them, Imboden’s early images are introspective self-portraits that show early signs of the psychological qualities that would eventually become characteristic of her work. Many of these photographs of the angsty and introspective 16-year-old involve the representation of masks, another recurring theme through Imboden’s career.

Dead Silences I, 1987

Imboden’s work with water began in 1983 when, while out photographing, she became intrigued by specular bursts of sunlight bouncing off puddles after a heavy rain. She continued to explore the reflective properties of water until one day a friend volunteered to model nude in a stream Imboden had been photographing in. The human form, distorted, reflected, and transformed as it is submerged in water, would eventually become the inspiration for her life’s work.

Imboden would continually discover new ways to explore her subject matter. Her early images incorporate the moving water of streams or the unavoidable reflection of trees, graphic elements that further transform the figure in ways that heighten the psychological aspect of the work. Later, in images such as Dead Silences I & II, Imboden photographed above the surface of a black lined kiddie pool, which improved the visibility of the reflection as well as the magnification and refraction of the water. The images working with this method illustrate elongated forms, fluid and often tranquil due to the stillness of the water.

Imboden’s work with the human form and water incorporate three distinct layers; the body above the surface of the water, its reflection, and the body submerged. When she eventually began photographing underwater, she would also use the meniscus of the water to further distort and transform the body. Her images throughout the years of 1997-2000 feature bizarre, organic forms - familiar in their flesh but alien in their reconstructed form. In an interview, Imboden is quoted as saying “… there is nothing more repulsive nor more attractive to us than flesh. This confrontation with flesh in an unidentified form makes us uncomfortable. We don’t know what we are looking at, but we know it is human.”

Connie Imboden, Self Portrait, 1990

Photographing models in water was not an option during the cold winter months for Imboden. In order to continue working with reflections and the human form through the year, she began working with mirrors in 1989. The problem, however, was that the mirrors only provided one reflective layer, instead of the three she had grown accustomed to working with that had the potential to distort and transform the figure. Her early attempts at disrupting the clean, crisp reflections involved smearing oil on the mirror’s surface, as seen in Untitled #2455.

Seeking to alter the surface even further, Imboden began scratching the silver backing off of the mirrors she was working with, making them transparent in some places while still reflective in others. Putting a model behind the mirror made them visible in the areas where the mirror was transparent, while a model in front can be seen in the parts that are still reflective. Through the relationship of the models in front of and behind the mirror, as well as her camera angle, she discovered a similar effect to the refractive properties of the water. In the only self-portrait she produced since the 1970s, Self Portrait 1990, Imboden imperfectly lines up her profile in front of the mirror with a models face behind the mirror, creating a distorted portrait by combining two different views into one, reminiscent of the quality of space in a Cubist painting.

The smearing and scraping of the mirrors soon lead to generating a marred, scratched texture on their surface. Resembling the “hatching” technique in medieval printmaking, many of Imboden’s images that illustrate this texture have a dark, mythological quality to them, as in Untitled #3573. By incorporating this texture with the model showing through from behind the mirror and the one reflected in front, Imboden was once again working with three distinct layers.

Education

1986–1988

• Master of Fine Arts, University of Delaware, Newark, DE

1977–1978

• Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, Towson State University, Baltimore, MD

1971–1973

• Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

Teaching Experience

2002–present

• Santa Fe Workshops, Santa Fe, NM

1996–present

• Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

1995–present

• School for Photographic Studies in Prague, Czech Republic

1993–present

• Maine Photographic Workshops, Rockport, ME

1997

• International Center For Photography, NY, NY

1995

• Center for Photography in Woodstock, NY

1994

• Recontres Internationales de la Photographie Workshop, Arles, France

Boards and affiliations

• 1996–present William G Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, Chair Term 2001-2003
• 2001–present Board of Trustees, Contemporary Museum, Baltimore, MD
• 2001–present Villa Julie College Art Gallery Advisory Board, Baltimore, MD

• http://www.mica.edu/About_MICA/People/Faculty/Faculty_List_by_Last_Name/Connie_Imboden.html

• The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
• The Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA
• The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA
• The Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
• The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC
• The Museum of Photography, Helsinki, Finland
• Museo Alejandro Otero, Caracas, Venezuela
• The National Museum of American Art, Washington DC
• The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD
• The Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA
• The Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France
• The Bibliothèque Lyonnaise, Lyon, France
• The Corcoran Gallery, Washington DC
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
• Kresge Art Museum, East Lansing, MI
• Galerie du Chateau d'eau, Toulouse, France
• Galleria e libreria dell'immagine, Milan, Italy
• Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
• L'oeil Quiperios, Quimper, France
• Ludwig Museum, Cologne, Germany

• http://www.mica.edu/About_MICA/People/Faculty/Faculty_List_by_Last_Name/Connie_Imboden.html

• In Focus, Cologne, Germany
• Volakis Gallery, CA
• Bassetti Fine Art Photographs, New Orleans, LA
• Daniel Azoulay Gallery, Miami, FL
• The Alan Klotz Photocollect, New York, NY
• Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris, France
• Galleria Emma Molina, Monterey Mexico
• Chiaroscuro Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Galerie Waldburger, Berlin, Germany
• Trinity Gallery, Atlanta, GA
• Packard Reith Gallery, Lewes, DE

• http://www.mica.edu/About_MICA/People/Faculty/Faculty_List_by_Last_Name/Connie_Imboden.html

2013

• Nordic Light Festival, Kristensund, Norway 2011 - Saul Mednick Gallery, Philadelphia, P

2010

• Hargate Gallery, Concord, MA

2009

• Maine Art Museum, Bangor, ME
• See+ Art Gallery, Beijing, China
• Heineman Myers Contemporary Art, Bethesda, MD Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE

2008

• Mesa Contemporary Arts Center, Mesa, AZ Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Valdivia, Chile Universidad de Chilie, Santiago, Chile
• Centro de la Photographie, Lima, Peru

2007

• Museo Metropolitano, Buenos Aires, Argentina Universidad Mayor, Temeco, Chile
• James Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA

2006

• Heineman Meyers, Bethesda, MD

2005

• Esther Woerdehoff Galerie, Paris, France
• Infocus Galerie, Cologne, Germany 2004 – Volakis Gallery, Nappa, CA

2004

• Volakis Gallery, Nappa, CA

2003

• Packard & Wreath Gallery, Lewes, DE
• Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD
• McDaniel College, Westminster, MD

2002

• Trinity Gallery, Atlanta, GA

2001

• Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA
• JJ Brookings Gallery, San Francisco, CA
• Galerie Waldburger, Berlin, Germany
• Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD
• Edward Carter Gallery, Lewes, DE
• Chiaroscuro Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2000

• Centro de la Fotographia, Lima, Peru
• Infocus Gallery, Cologne, Germany
• JJ Brookings Gallery, San Francisco, CA
• Bassetti Fine Art Photographs, New Orleans,LA
• Emma Molina Galerie, Monterey, Mexico

1999

• Gomez Gallery Baltimore, MD
• Esther Woerdehoff Galerie, Paris, France
• Alan Klotz PhotoCollect New York, NY
• George Mason University, The Johnson Center and FineArts Galleries, Fairfax, VA

1998

• Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD

1997

• Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Panama
• Museo de las Americas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Infocus Gallery, Cologne, Germany
• Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD
• Museo de Barquisimento, Venezuela
• Museo de Arte Costarricense, San Jose, Costa Rica
• Galeria del Ateneo de Valencia, Valencia, Venezuela

1996

• Gomez Gallrey, Baltimore, MD
• Museo Alejandro Otero, Caracas, Venezuela
• Witkin Gallery, New York, NY

1995

• ThirdEye Photoworks, The Internet
• Imagery Gallery, Lancaster, OH

1994

• Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD
• Gallery Finfoto, Helsinki, Finland
• Galleria 13, Espace Van Gogh, Arles, France
• Braggiotti Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Galleria e libreria dell'immagine, Milan, Italy
• The University of Notre Dame, Indiana

1993

• Galerie du Chateau d'eau, Toulouse, France
• Imagery Gallery, Lancaster, OH
• Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA
• Washington Center for Photography, Washington DC
• Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA

1992

• Witkin Gallery, New York, NY
• Suzel Berna Gallery, Paris, France
• Grauwert Gallery, Hamburg, German
• Towson State University, Baltimore, MD

1991

• Momediano Gallerie de Arte, Madrid, Spain
• New Works Gallery, University of Illinois at Chicago
• The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
• The Nye Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD
• Blatant Image/Silver Eye, Pittsburgh, PA

1990

• Photo West Gallery, San Diego, CA
• Iris Gallery, Boca Raton, FL

1989

• Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
• Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO

1988

• The Rosenberg Gallery, Baltimore, MD
• The Booktrader's Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

• http://www.mica.edu/About_MICA/People/Faculty/Faculty_List_by_Last_Name/Connie_Imboden.html

2009

• Reflections: 25 Years of Photography by Connie Imboden, published by Insight Editions. Preface by Julian Cox, Forward by John Wood, Introduction by Arthur

Ollman

2007

• Connie Imboden, La Oscuridad Divina Catalogue Museo Metropolitano

2006

• Connie Imboden: Re-Fromation, catalogue

2003

• Imboden Photographs Catalogue

2001

• Piercing Illusions, Published by Foto Books Press, San Francisco & New York, text by John Wood, Interview by John Weiss

1999

• Beauty of Darkness, Monograph published by Custom and Limited Editions Text by Arthur Ollman, and A.D.Coleman
• Raw Seduction of Flesh Monograph published by Silver Arts, London England Text by Mitchell Snow

1998

• Inter U terus Catalogue, Published By Gomez Gallery

1996

• "Connie Imboden" Catalog for Museo Alejandro Otero

1993

• Connie Imboden Conversation by Jean–Claude Lemagny, Text by Robert Pujade, Published by GalerieMunicipale du Chateau d'Eau, Toulouse, France.

1992

• Out of Darkness by Connie Imboden. Text by AD Coleman and Charles Henri Favrod Edited and published by Esther Woerdehoff, Zurich and Paris. Printed in Switzerland.

• http://www.mica.edu/About_MICA/People/Faculty/Faculty_List_by_Last_Name/Connie_Imboden.html

2010

• Georgia Review, “Danse Macabre” Front and back cover and inside portfolio

2008

• Focus Magazine, “Fire and Water” 1/8/08
• RS Magazine “Connie Imboden” June 2008

2007

• Foto Mundo, “La Oscuradad Divina” June 2007 2006 – Baltimore Sun, Wednesday April 12, Arts & Society 2005 – Inked Magazine, cover, Spring Premiere Issue

2003

• Baltimore Sun, Sunday, November 2, Arts & Society
• Baltimore City Paper, December 3, 2003 " Art"
• Towson Times, December 3, 2003, Life Times

2002

• Ag, Volume 29 November 2002, "Running Deeper: The Metamorphes of Connie Imboden," A.D. Coleman
• Photovision: Art & Technique
• Foto & Video February 2002

2001

• Zoom, July 2001 "Connie Imboden", David Crosby
• PHOTOgraphic, July 2001"Connie Imboden: Troubled Waters", Jay Jorgensen

2000

• B&W Magazine, June 2000 "Connie Imboden Body Transformer" Shawn O'Sullivan, Issue 7
• Photographie, June 2000 "Connie Imboden" PortfolioPhotoPlus, June 2000 "THE BODY, Distortions and Realities" Ghislaine De La Villeguerin

1999

• Baltimore Magazine, Sept 1999, "Connie Imboden"
• Baltimore Sunday Sun, September 12, Arts and Society "Body Language" Glenn McNatt
• Photo Metro, Vol17 Issue 155 "Connie Imboden"

1998

• The Photo Review, Fall 1998, Vol 21 #4, "Connie Imboden" by Susan Ciccotti
• Master Breasts, Aperture Publishing, New York, NY

1997

• Leg, Donna Karan Inc, General Publishing Group

1995

• Women Artists, The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Susan Fisher Sterling
• Zoom Magazine, Milan, Italy
• Photodom Magazine January "Connie Imboden: Out Of Darkness", Taiwan

1994

• Valokuva Finnish Photography, November, "Connie Imboden Vesi Ja Peili" Helsinki Finland
• Tradition and the Unpredictable, Catalog for the show at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
• Photographies Magazine. January, "Connie Imboden" Milan, Italy

1993

• ViewCamera, September/October, "Connie Imboden –Beneath the Surface", Sacramento, CA
• Photo Review, Winter, "Connie Imboden: An Interview", Philadelphia, PA

1992

• Photovision, "Archeology of the Body", #23, Sevilla, Spain
• La Foltgrafia, "Reflejos en el Agua", Issue #23, Barcelona, Spain
• Vis a Vis, "acquisitions de la Bibliotheque Nationale", Issue #10, Paris, France
• Photonews, "Imboden: Ein Spiegel nach innen", April, Hamburg, Germany

1991

• Fotopractica, January, Milan, Italy Fotografisk Tidskrift, May Stockholm, Sweden
• Photoblatter, "Connie Imboden: Korper im Wasser", August, Frankfurt, Germany
• Camera and Darkroom, August, Beverly Hills, CA
• Idea Magazine, "New Wave Nude Photos", January, Tokyo, Japan

1990

• Popular Photography, "They Still Shoot Nudes Don't They", October, New York, NY
• Insight Magazine, February, Bristol, RI

1989

• Photo Metro Magazine, January, San Francisco, CA
• Photo Design Magazine, February, New York, NY

1988

• Swimmers, Aperture, June, New York, NY
• Exploring Black and White Photography, by Arnold Gasson. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, IA
• Photo Review, Winter, "Deep Waters – The Photographs of Connie Imboden", Philadelphia, PA
• Photo Review, Spring, "The Delaware Portfolio" Philadelphia, PA

1987

• Photo Review, Summer, Philadelphia, PA

• http://www.mica.edu/About_MICA/People/Faculty/Faculty_List_by_Last_Name/Connie_Imboden.html

• Beauty Of Darkness, Custom & limited ed., 1999, ISBN 978-1-881529-56-9
• The raw seduction of flesh, Silver Arts, 1999, ISBN 978-1-902613-02-4
• Reflections: 25 Years of Photography, Insight Editions, 2009, ISBN 978-1-933784-79-3

• "Bodies of Water", Baltimore City Paper, Mike Giuliano, May 17, 2000