Kirsten Kay Thoen

Fog Field Prism

“Many pictures turn out to be limp translations of the known world instead of vital objects which create an intrinsic world of their own.” – Robert Heinecken (1932-2006)

Metamorph

The words of the self-proclaimed ‘para-photographer’ evoke the grounds for my formal explorations with photography. My creative process is largely informed by my concern with the impact of accelerating technologies on human perceptions of and relationships to nature.

My relationship to photography is a transformative one. The images in this portfolio document my experimental process of reworking nature-based imagery into nature-inspired, three-dimensional, forms. I am particularly attracted to creating an elevated experience of photography. Sacred geometry, alchemy, and architectural philosophies of visionaries such as Rudolph Steiner are key to the development of my work. Together my pieces assemble a personal vision of a contemporary nature culture.

Arboreal Prism

Arboreal Prism Installation View

Metronome Rendering

Kirsten Kay Thoen was raised in Holladay, Utah (b.1977). She moved to New York in 1998, drawn to design her own undergraduate curriculum at Eugene Lang College of the New School. In 2001, she spent a year in the Netherlands, studying photography while working closely with several emerging Dutch photographers, including Morad Bouchakour and Dana Lixenberg. In 2005, Kirsten founded K Studio, Williamsburg Brooklyn’s premiere affordable boutique photo studio. K Studio’s roster includes an impressive list of creatives. Kirsten received her MFA at the School of Visual Arts Photography, Video & Related Media Program in 2009. Kirsten’s imagery has been commissioned and exhibited internationally. Her most recent acknowledgment is the inclusion of her work in Humble Arts Foundation’s 31 Women in Art Photography 2010, curated by Charlotte Cotton and Jonathan Feinstein.