Sandra Kontos
Gallery of Work
About me
“A memory is what is left when something happens and doesn’t completely unhappen.”
Edward de Bono
I mainly explore life, death, spirituality, gender, and sexuality through my art. The initial stimulus which drives much of my art practice is autobiographical in nature. I often reminisce and relate to what Felix Gonzalez-Torres once said, “’my work is all my personal history… I can’t separate my art from my life.’”
Memories and remembrance are pivotal to conceptualization. I archive emotions by making photographs. Those impossible bodily experiences, I “materialise memory” as Zelizer eloquently puts it. Yet just as crucial and entering the work from the same place is the fear of forgetting. Memories are transmuted and replaced with metaphors. Often only a small thread remains of the initial source, because occasionally thus is the nature of memory.
My images operate to a greater extent as an “extended act of remembrance,” rather than simply an accurate resemblance of a place or object. I predominately use nature to convey/chronicle these events and thoughts. Nature made sense in a way, it is impermanent and constantly changing. Similarly, Alfred Steiglitz developed his theory of clouds as being the equivalent of his life experience. The formal structure and pictorial language of my art practice is based and developed from Greek Mythology, artists of influence and various literary sources.
I am fascinated in alternative processes and analogue photography. In order to gain knowledge of various methods I have attended workshops at the Penumbra Foundation in New York and Gold Street Studios in Trentham, Victoria. I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from UNSW College of Fine Arts (2005), and to further develop my technical skills, I completed a Certificate IV in Photo Imaging through TAFE NSW in 2007, followed by a Diploma of Photo Imaging in 2015. From 2011 to 2016, I authored a WordPress blog dedicated to exploring early photographic techniques, key historical figures, and contemporary artists whose work aligns with my interests. This research-based inquiry continues to inform my creative and pedagogical practice.
Alongside my art practice, I teach photography within visual arts education. I have introduced students to cameraless photography and alternative processes, and remain committed to fostering a deep appreciation for the material and conceptual possibilities of the photographic image. While analogue techniques remain central to my practice, I continue to expand my knowledge of digital photography, post-production, and contemporary print workflows.
