Gabrielle Smarr

           Gabrielle Smarr, a compelling and insightful fine artist, is currently working on a series that she describes as “a documentation of the regular.”  Photographing her small hometown of Tamaqua, Gabrielle investigates the place in which she grew up.  She does this by capturing images of the town and the people in it in order to create a personalized definition of home and normalcy.

           Upon being asked what she would like for others to get out of her work, Gabrielle poetically responds, “I make my work to remember.  I want people to see what I saw.  I want them to experience where I’m coming from or where I want to go.”  Inspired by the distinct use of color and attention to detail depicted by artists such as William Eggleston and Joel Meyerowitz, Gabrielle creates images that use these techniques to accurately depict what she is trying to say.

I asked Gabrielle what exactly it is about her hometown that she wants to document. She replied, “I want to document the characteristics of the place that I call home.  This place holds my roots.  It’s where I was born and raised; it’s the place that’s molded me into who I am.  I want to explore this and all of the quirks that I know exist and share them with the world.  I don’t think that I’ve found exactly what it is I’m doing yet, but I’m still searching and working.  I know there is something special about Tamaqua, whether it’s the worm hole feeling or the beautiful mountains that hold it in, there’s something there that I want people to notice.”

Gabrielle’s work, while being specific to her personal experiences and hometown, manages to also be universal.  There’s something in the ordinary of where a person grew up that everyone can relate to and identify with.  Gabrielle understands this, which is why her work is capable of speaking to so many.

Written by Tricia Farley