Marie-Claire Montanari’s photography represents reality.  She works with a triptych of elements through the use of shadows, light and reflections.  Whether her chosen subject is street scenes, poignant mannequins, boats or the female form, they are all depicted in an authentic way.  Thomas Weski’s statement on photography perfectly fits Marie-Claire’s style, "At the moment, photography is in a phase of change in which an altered conception of the documentary factor is emerging.  It is not so much a matter of the portrayal or representation of reality, but rather of an artistically well-grounded idea of the world."

Born in Paris France, Marie-Claire came to New York in the late 1960’s to work at the United Nations.  Having had no interest in photography prior to coming to “the city”, she began to see her surroundings through the eye of a camera, and by 1973, she began to study photography and take her craft seriously.  She took photography workshops with Harold Feinstein, master printing with George Tice, and lighting with Phillip Halsman.  She then became a student and friend of Lisette Model who stated, “The camera is an instrument of detection. We photograph not only what we know, but also what we don’t know.”  All of her instructors helped to spark her imagination, inspire her and keep her interest in and dedication to photography alive.

Marie-Claire’s professional, commission based photography began in 1985 with portraits of women and has since gone forward to include studies of the streets of New York, particularly of her Greenwich Village neighborhood, the female form, the antique furniture center, and Wave Hill, the internationally known botanical gardens located in the Bronx.

Reflections of reality, scenes within the seen, were to become one of her passions.  From her Greenwich Village window she noticed what most would pass by without even a second glance--a mannequin in a store window not only dressed in the fashion of the day, but dressed in and surrounded by the windows reflected streets and buildings.  The mannequin, the light and the life of the city became one. 

Marie-Claire chooses mannequins that look alive – poised to perfection.  She captures graceful flowing dresses of times gone by.  Although the mannequins are motionless, the artist chooses an ethereal moment in time.  Today, new mannequins are built faceless and unreal.  Marie-Claire’s mannequins with realistic faces and figures, combined with street scenes reflected in shop windows, seem to be on the dividing line between the real and the unreal.
 

Recently, Marie-Claire had a show at “Art Inside Piola”, which showcases unique artists each month.  It is a fun place to sip wine and view distinctive art, such as Marie-Claire’s series of “Women Reflecting New York City.”  One of her featured mannequins in this collection is a woman wearing a black hat, or maybe I should say, “She is wearing a building!”  This image was captured during a distinct moment where reflections and light blended to create such an anomaly.

The mannequin series seemed to take on a life of its own—New York style life.  One looks innocent, vulnerable and yet alluring against Union Square traffic, while another merges with the reflected image of the Sherry Netherlands Hotel to create a nostalgic image of 1980’s New York chic.  Others appear to be just modeling their fashions in front of a city backdrop—photographers, get your cameras ready.  Marie-Claire has skillfully created images that let the viewer’s imagination form their own story.

And there are many ways for a photographer to reflect on and capture reflective images of the life within a city.  “The street is a particularly interesting environment for a photographer.  You don’t know what to expect, but something is always happening and the element of surprise is exciting!”

And Marie-Claire just seems to be at the right place, at the right time, in order to capture the perfect subjects and light. 

© Marie-Claire Montanari.  All rights reserved.