©Ellen Friedlander, Being

 “Each self-portrait and portrait in this collection tells a story of ongoing transformation, capturing not just a moment in time, but the profound process of becoming oneself.” 

– Ellen Friedlander 

 Ellen Friedlander’s latest exhibition, The Soul Speaks, encapsulates the artist’s process of unlocking the hidden depths of a subject that lies beyond their external façade. Utilizing photographic tools and slow, deliberate techniques such as a pinhole lens, long exposure, and collage, Friedlander captures images that are moody, raw, and ethereal. The act of taking a long exposure allows time to become a collaborator to the work, building intimacy in the space between the opening and closing of the camera’s shutter. These images are then physically cut and divided, allowing Friedlander to reassemble the slivers of the portrait, the process itself mirroring the journey of self discovery. Once reassembled, Friedlander’s portraits tell the story of ongoing transformation, rather than the capture of a single moment in time. 

Reflecting on Friedlander’s exhibition, art critic Peter Frank offered this insight: “If we understand “portraiture” to be the artistically contextualized representation of human beings, how – how much – does the act of portraying a fellow member of our species require fidelity to optical observation? Ellen Friedlander’s process of abstracting and decoding is not designed to render her sitters or herself newly vulnerable, but to spark in us an empathetic response to their standing vulnerability – the same kind of empathy they inspired in Friedlander herself. Their souls speak to and for ours.” 

The exhibition is currently on view at The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH), 665 W. Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster CA 93534. The exhibition runs from Saturday, January 25 to Sunday April 13, 2025. 

The Soul Speaks is part of the larger MOAH exhibition, Before You Now: Photographic Transmutations, which also includes solo exhibitions by Osceola Refetoff, Brad Miller, Naida Osline, and Andrew K. Thompson, as well as a photographic self-portraiture exhibit curated from work in LACMA’s permanent collection. 

©Ellen Friedlander, The Soul Speaks on view at MOAH

©Ellen Friedlander, The Soul Speaks on view at MOAH

Ellen Friedlander is a Los Angeles-based artist who uses a variety of in-camera and post processing techniques to reveal a style that is bold, layered, and fueled by a fascination with life’s imperfections and fleeting moments. Friedlander holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with a Minor in Photography from Ithaca College and a Master of Arts in Mass Communications from the University of Florida. In addition to her personal work, Friedlander is a Kipaipai fellow as well as Co-Director of Pasadena Photography Arts, which promotes diverse photography projects by established and emerging photographers worldwide through Open Show and FORUM events. Friedlander stays connected to the broader artist community as a mentor for ASMP’s The Bridge Program, Executive Producer of “The Crit House Podcast,” and Board President of January Arts non-profit. 

Instagram: @emfphoto59 

©Ellen Friedlander, Quarter Life

©Ellen Friedlander, I Am Witness. I Am Empathy. I Am Compassion

©Ellen Friedlander, Hidden. Found. Me.

©Ellen Friedlander, Process of Becoming

©Ellen Friedlander, Shattered

©Ellen Friedlander, Raw