Roni Horn

From the series You Are the Weather

As with most photographers,  my interest in their concepts usually develops out of an initial appreciate for the aesthetic aspects of their work. With Roni Horn, those developed simultaneously. Her process is intriguing and the resulting prints stand as a test. Her images are made under soft even lighting that casts minimal shadows, just strong enough to set a sense of space. The colors explored in much of her work subtly compliment each other. There's a remarkably refined asymmetrical balance in her compositions. Interestingly enough, I feel as though these elements take a back seat to what is being represented. Her aesthetic choices don't really draw attention to themselves but come together to create a harmonious whole. Essentially, in doing this, she creates 'place'.
This ties into the conceptual side of her work. In her series "You are the Weather" Horn talks about wanting to create a sense of place, similar to that of a landscape, in a portrait.

There is something congruous between all of Horn's work that seems to always suggest place. In these portraits, the space around the woman, the water and the air, become just as immediate as the woman's face. Her stoic expression suggesting a kinship with the rocks and earth that form the mountains.