Dianne Yudelson
Artist Statement: “The Visitation”
I am perplexed by the mainstream cultural portrayal of cemeteries as dark, haunting, macabre
places to fear--home to vampires and ghouls. My experience represents a complete contrast to
this mainstream depiction. I have always been drawn to the quiet tranquility of the cemetery.
Even as a child, I felt reverence for the lives that the graveyard represents. Today, I am filled
with respect for the innocence of the lives cut short and the wisdom of the agéd, and I
acknowledge that those who have lived and loved before me have created the world I now
inhabit.
Visiting a cemetery evokes a sense of wonder about the lives of those who have passed. What
were their fleeting pleasures, private perils, lessons learned and guarded secrets? Who were their
heroes and what did they dedicate themselves to on earth? Our cemeteries represent not only our
families, but also soldiers, nurses, teachers, lovers, philosophers, artists and innocent victims.
Combined, they represent our ancestral humanity.
Although I can no longer visually see my friends and family who have passed from my corporeal
world, they continue to visit me throughout my daily life. I hear them in my “mind’s ear.” Their
voices resonate clearly as they encourage, remind, warn, chastise and advise. I hear my
grandmother’s voice in song as if she was present with me on the porch and I am at once
embraced in the loving feelings of childhood. In a moment of indecision, I hear my father’s
gentle laughter followed by words of encouragement. Physically, I cannot see them, but I hear
the timber and vibrancy of their voices as if they are there. This phenomenon is most crystalline
at the cemetery where life’s immediate needs and constant demands are at bay. If cemeteries are
built for the living to visit their loved ones, do those loved ones continue to visit the cemetery
after they leave our material world? Call it instinct, sensory awareness or intuition, there is a
universal human need, a psychological desire, to connect with not only immediate family
members, but also our previous generations.
These five images are part of a larger series of photographs. With this series I bring my personal
vision of the cemetery to life. From the simple beauty of the veteran’s grave marker to the
ornate marble architecture of historic mausoleums, I respectfully render the cemetery, bathed in
beautiful light, with the presence of loved ones and unsung heroes.
Dianne Yudelson
Artist Statement: “Bejeweled”
My “Bejeweled” series was inspired by my mother. She insisted that “One does not need an
expansive wardrobe as long as you own quality, classical pieces.” As a girl, however, I always
felt I had a “bare-bones” wardrobe. Recently, I was quoting my mother and as I heard myself
explain my feelings about owning a bare-bones wardrobe, my “mind’s eye” envisioned a person
in bare bones. I thoroughly enjoy how wonderfully curious and ambiguous language is and I
began to play with the cognitive semantics of the term “bare bones.” As a result, I created the
concept, slogan and images for this advertising self-promotional series, Bejeweled.
Dianne Yudelson –Biography
Dianne Yudelson is a photographic artist and master of the New Eclecticism. Last year her
images were international winners in the Photography Master's Cup, the Prix de la Photographie,
Paris (PX3), the International Photography Awards, the London International Creative
Competition, and the Black and White Spider Awards. She was honored with 45 nominations
across 13 categories and five wins in the Photography Master’s Cup (in Fine Art, Americana,
Children and Wildlife), and with over 100 official selections and 4 wins (in Advertising,
Wildlife, Fine Art and Portraiture) in the PX3. The prestigious Spider Awards honored her with
2 Honor of Distinctions in Fashion and Still Life among other awards. Thus far this year Dianne
was announced as a finalist for the 2012 WPGA Julia Margaret Cameron Award in the
Documentary and Editorial category, and is a winner in the Kuala Lumpur Photo Awards Portrait
Top 40. Her image will appear in the Portrait Top 40 exhibition in Malaysia this June 2012.
In the fine tradition of eclectic artists of our past, from Da Vinci to Duchamp, Dianne diverges
from mainstream specialization and embraces the challenge of exploring varied subjects and
forms of artistic expression.
“As the founder of the New Eclecticism Movement in photography, I have melded my fine art,
theater art, fashion and stylist background with my academic training and teaching experience to
create images that explore the visual and psychological aspects of our world and that challenge,
delight and educate the viewer. Throughout my life art has been the one true common thread, the
stitches that bind my chapters together. As a photographic artist I embrace the ability to spotlight
my point of view and give a voice to my imagination.” ~ Dianne Yudelson