Torie Zalben

My work comprises a collage of imagery drawn from nature. My cosmology proposes a nonlinear documentation of sublime moments in everyday existence. In my work one may witness a hummingbird frozen in a moment, an angelic figure looking into the viewer, water defying gravity, and a glimpse into a portal to another dimension. Or one might see the remnants and pieces of other visual elements entirely different. I encourage viewers to locate a completely new image, a hidden figure or face, and thereby expose a new reality within my photographs.

I am inspired by Maya Deren’s analysis of her works and her refusal to interpret her work for the viewer. In her various essays, she writes about her predilection not to talk about what her work means to her personally. I too, apply such an approach; I leave artistic analysis up to the viewer. I believe in letting the photograph cultivate an air of mystery. As if remembering a dream, I intend for my work to serve as documentation of a collage of images that collectively create meaning and metaphorical representations of one’s subconscious.

I love blurring the mediums of cinematic stills, painting and photography. I am inspired by the films and experimental photography of Jack Smith. In his film Flaming Creatures (1963) he utilizes visual abstraction and in-camera techniques to warp perspectives. Concerning inspiration from his photography, I specifically resonate with his use of saturation and experimental color schemes from his works.

Torie Zalben is a multimedia photographer. She invites varied perspectives and subjective understandings as a means of interpreting her work. Inspiration from her study of film and meditation synthesize her cosmology as an artist. Born in Los Angeles, CA she attended Loyola Marymount University and received her BA in film & television in 2011, and her MA in video art and media from New York University in 2015. Zalben sits on the board of the NYU Gallatin Dean’s Council, an events committee member of Project Angel Food, an honorary young board member of LA’s new art museum the ICA LA, and an advisory board member of the David Lynch Foundation in Los Angeles. She has currently exhibited at The Pacific Design Center, Unicef’s next Gen Art Party and her work will be featured in this year’s Angel Art located at NEUE House in Hollywood. She has lectured at CalArts and is responsible for helping establishing the CalArts Immersion Group that invites students to create 360° content for the Vortex Immersion Media Dome at LA Center Studios in Downtown LA. She was recently nominated for a 2018 Emerging Artist Grant award from the Rema Hort Mann Foundation.

MA, Video Art & Media, New York University, New York, NY - 2015

BA, Film & TV, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA - 2011