Second Place: Angela Casagrande
L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet' Second Place: Angela Casagrande (Click on image for larger view)
SELF PRESERVATION by Angela Casagrande
(Click on image for larger view)

CURATOR SUSAN SWIHART: "For second place, I choose the haunting image, “Self Preservation" from Angela Casagrande. The woman in the portrait is both melancholy and powerful. The starry sky and calm waters indicate a serene scene, yet her face separated from her head disconnects her from perhaps the loneliness of the island that is her body. The tones and composition are so beautiful, but why is she so alone? I just want to know more about the secrets in this picture. I can’t wait to find more of Angela’s work!"
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ANGELA CASAGRANDE: "I never saw the ghost woman myself. My mother and I lived in the apartment above what had once been my great grandparents’ bakery. Over the years, various occupants of that old space had commented on seeing a woman in white clothing . “They’ve been hitting the booze at closing,” was my grandfather’s response to these sightings. But after the last occupant moved out and the space remained empty, I would hear unexplained noises at all hours.
 
The “Family Stories...” series is derived from my memories of family lore, genealogical research and nighttime dreams. By retelling these stories visually, I want to present to the viewer the unique set of symbols I have found within them.
 
To recreate the stories, I use a mixture of personal and appropriated images, utilizing analog and digital formats. This approach creates visually rich, layered images that bridge the past and the present.
Angela's love of imagery stems from her memories of her grandfather's World War II photographs, her grandmother's National Geographic book of Egypt, and the encyclopedia set she would browse through daily."
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Casagrande was born and raised in Humboldt County, California. She received her B.A. in Fine Art from Humboldt State University. She is an award winning photographer whose work has been shown nationally and internationally.
She is a full time artist living and working in Sacramento.

To learn more about Casagrande go to:

www.angelacasagrande.com