Joan Haseltine: Bluest Bruise

Joan Haseltine: Bluest Bruise by Aline SmithsonDecember 4, 2024

©Joan Haseltine, from Bluest Bruise

It’s our journey to death that individualizes us. – Joan Haseltine

I’ve been thinking a lot about my mortality lately, especially after experiencing a series of losses. It has been stated that “Our death begins at birth and not one of us gets out unscathed”. In researching mortality, I surprisingly discovered some positive benefits to considering our demise, such as being more generous and authentic, but also being more present, seeing deeply to celebrate the magic that surrounds us in the shadows. Joan Haseltine has done just that with an exquisite body of work titled Bluest Bruise, that speaks to our internal journeys to the unknown. It is her MFA thesis project created at Maine Media.

Haseltine opens an exhibition of the Bluest Bruise on December 6th from 4-7 pm at the Rebecca Molayem Gallery, 481 South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036. The exhibition runs from December 6–9, 10 AM–4 PM.

This evocative exhibition delves into themes of mortality, resilience, and the emotional landscapes that define the human experience. In Bluest Bruise, Haseltine invites viewers to reflect on the quiet acts of violence and transcendence that mark our lives. Her photography traverses the natural world—clouds, grasses, insects, trees, and skies—seeking moments of magic, mystery, and mayhem. Through her lens, she captures the fragility and wonderment of life, offering a perspective that is both deeply personal and universal.

In addition, she has also produced a sumptuous artist’s book, made in an edition of 5 with one AP. The book is sold out but may have another printing.

©Joan Haseltine, from Bluest Bruise

Bluest Bruise

Life is filled with small acts of violence. It can be suffocating.
Bruises form and fade with time.

My work is one of existential self-reflection. I think about mortality and death, which are universal and connected to all life forms. It’s our journey to death that individualizes us.

My camera is my partner as I wander unknown paths. I traverse the wonderment of nature: clouds, grasses, insects, trees, and skies. I look for magic, mystery and mayhem. I want to offer panoramic views of the cosmos that reveal how small we are. I hope to capture the wonderment and magnitude that I see as a signal of something bright in a troubled world. I look to document a sense of transcendence that eases the looming finitude of life.

In the process, I find an uneasy alliance with the world.

©Joan Haseltine, from Bluest Bruise

Joan Haseltine is a visual artist whose practice revolves around complex ideas of perception and the exploration of emotional intelligence from the female perspective. Her psychological landscapes and portraits examine a nuanced understanding of the challenges that women face, such as gender-based violence, cultural expectations, and the pressure to balance multiple roles, while also recognizing the remarkable resilience and strength of being female.

Her work has been exhibited in the US and Europe, including the Leica Gallery, Los Angeles, the PH Gallery in Budapest, and the Center for Photographic Arts, in Carmel, CA. Her work was selected for Critical Top 200 Mass in 2021 and she was recognized as one of the Best Modern Photographers of 2021 by All About Photo.com.

Haseltine’s work has been featured in numerous publications such as L’Oeil de la Photographie, Lenscratch, and Don’t Take Pictures Magazines. She has an MFA in Photography from Maine Media College. She lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Instagram: @joanhanseltine