Lorraine Forte

Lorraine Forte has lived in New York City for most of her life. Nocturnal, urban environments are the focus of much of her work. Her photographs are usually environmental and ambient rather than subject-driven, inviting the viewer into unique perspectives of film noir-like locations.

Lorraine began shooting and printing as a teenager. After attending Parsons School of Design, she continued to study photography with Lisette Model, Larry Fink, and Inge Bondi from Magnum.

What I’m doing may be a kind of expressionism. I’m forgoing technical perfection in a machine generated medium for the sake of emotional communication.

There are things that can be seen with film and a traditional lens that can’t be seen with a digital camera, and vice versa. For me, a traditional film camera is a vehicle for aperture and speed exploration. With a digital camera, I feel inclined to avert what the machine is designed to do. The difference between a nice shot and a photograph that I can be happy with is that I’m having some success using the camera as a photon paintbrush.

Photography isn’t purely self-expression, it’s an open channeled response to something that already exists, on its own, independent of the artist. I believe what a photographer brings is a kind of psychic frame or window. If an image works, I feel viscerally connected to it. My intention is to make the photograph a touchstone for the viewer to have their own experience with that information.

SHOWS    

2022  Tomkins Square Library Arts Fest, New York, NY 

2022  A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY 

2021  TNC Gallery, New York, NY 

2020  Lower Eastside Festival of the Arts, New York, NY 

2019  Living Gallery Outpost, New York, NY Solo

2019  Edward Hopper House Museum at Bell-ans Art Center, Nyack, NY 

2018  Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center, New York, NY Solo 

2014  Exit Art, New York, NY video Flying Road

2010  New Museum, New York, NY video Traffic Meditation

2002  Here is New York, New York, NY 

1994  Le Van Deux, New York, NY  Solo

1991  Home for Contemporary Theatre and Art, New York, NY 

1991  Max Fish, New York, NY 

1991  Wetherholt Gallery, Washington, D.C. 

1990  Paula Allen Gallery, New York, NY Solo

1990  The Storefront Gallery, New York, NY 

1990  Black and White in Color Gallery, Bronx, NY 

1990  Judith Jacobs Gallery, New York, NY 

1990  Max Fish, New York, NY 

1989  Helio Gallery, New York, NY 

1989  Red Zone, New York, NY 

1986  Fusion Arts, New York, NY 

1986  On The Wall, New York, NY Solo

1985  Photoforum, New York, NY 

1985  Limelight, New York, NY

1984  Limelight, New York, NY 

1983  Hudson River Museum, Hudson, NY 

1972  Douglas College Library, Princeton, New Jersey Solo

COLLECTIONS

2022  Howl Arts Archives, Macchiato, Loisaida Fireworks, Felted 

2022  NYU Special Collections, Felted 

2022  SVA Library, Felted 

2020  Elmer Homes Bobst, Fales Library at New York University, Loisaida Fireworks 

2018  Fales Library at New York University, Macchiato 

2018  New-York Historical Society Museum and Library, 42 archival digital Prints 

1990  Black and White in Color Gallery, silver gelatin print, Fishgirl

NY

USA