I hardly recognize myself as a photographer. I use photography as a tool – like an instrument to make music or a brush for painting – to create an image of my vision, with a dreamy and indirect relationship to external reality. I do this in varying styles. Some images are essentially representative photography of the world around me that nevertheless dissolve into the wonder of abstract pattern, while others are complex manipulations of the ordinary visual world that use intentional camera movement, multiple exposures, and well planned color palettes to reflect my vision, dreams and feelings. Abstract photography with endless creativity became a passion for me and I am happy that I found the way to express myself through this style.
Biography
Olga Merrill is a Maine based self-taught visual artist primarily using the medium of photography. She was born in the Far East of Russia on April, 1971. She graduated from Samara State University of Economics in 1992 and Samara State University in 1996. She lived and worked in Russia until March of 2013, when came to Maine, USA and life changed. At the end of 2015, her life changed even more – she got a photo camera and her view of the world became different through lenses. Photography was a hobby for her father, and she remembers the smell of chemicals from being with him in his darkroom. Who knew that after more than 35 years from her first brief touch of photography, she would become an artist and visual art started playing a significant role in her life.
Her works have been shown at many galleries around the United States and in Europe. She was featured in l’Oeil de la Photographie, Dodho and YourdDailyPhotograph among others. Olga’s limited and open edition prints are available at galleries and held by private collectors throughout the world.
“I’m fascinated with Olga’s work because it uses photography to be so painterly. Its partial abstraction makes room for our imagination and wonder at the same time its photographic origin grounds us in some reality,” said David Morgan, an artist and the owner of Green Lion Gallery, ME. USA.
Memberships:
Center for Photographic Art
Center for Maine Contemporary Art
Representation by:
Artemis Gallery, Northeast Harbor, Maine
Green Lion Gallery, Bath, Maine
Representation by – online gallery:
For information on prints or licensing photographs, please use the form on the contact page.
