Women's History Month: Sherrie Nickol
‘Susan’ from series “Face to Face” © Sherrie NIckol
‘Isobel’ from series “Face to Face” © Sherrie NIckol
Images and text by Sherrie Nickol
Sherrie Nickol is a fine art photographer who captures moments in time — and in life — with an almost tangible warmth and energy. Nickol studied photography at the University of Cincinnati and later at the International Center of Photography in New York City. Her photographs are in the permanent collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale de France in Paris, and in numerous private collections in the United States. She has mounted one-person exhibitions at Temple University and The National Arts Club in New York City.
In recent years, Nickol has focused especially on exploring the relationships between people and their environments. She is interested in families as they come together to share experiences and in individuals as they navigate their space alone. Her work examines the different ways to experience public and private spaces, and she brings a sincerity to her approach that breaks down barriers and allows her to connect deeply with her subjects — a connection which is evident in the photographs themselves.
My ongoing Face to Face series began several years ago with the intent to explore the quiet beauty and dignity of women. The portraits ended up evolving into being more than just a click of the shutter, and grew into capturing my subject’s depth, feeling and the meaning behind the image.
As the project progressed over time, I began to build a visual vocabulary of what it meant to be a young woman – I did not intend to change the character of my subjects, but instead to allow them to be who they were. I think that my sincere approach to my subject affords me that extra level of trust.
‘Sharon’ from series “Face to Face” © Sherrie NIckol
‘Anna’ from series “Face to Face” © Sherrie NIckol
‘Molly’ from series “Face to Face” © Sherrie NIckol
Lillian Bassman, who died in 2012, was a true artist, and the photographer in particular that has always stood out to me as an inspiration, not only for her creativity, but also for breaking gender barriers in the world of photography from the 1950s until her death. In her own words “I am completely tied up with softness, fragility, and the problems of a feminine world.” The two images of Lillian Bassman shown here are great examples of her sense of style, composition and use of light. I love the energy she captures in these brief moments in time.
‘Lisa Fonssagrives, New York’, Lillian Bassman Image Courtesy of © ICP
‘Across the Restaurant‘. Lillian Bassman Image Courtesy of © ICP
Check out more of Nickol’s work on her website
