Alexandra de Steiguer, Photographer, Farmington

New York native Alexandra de Steiguer is based in Farmington. Since 1997 she has spent her winters as caretaker and sole resident of the Isles of Shoals. Of this unique experience, she says, “I can’t begin to express the growth I have experienced during this extended time alone amid rocks, sea and sky – simply as a human but, perhaps more significantly, as an artist.”

Her gelatin silver images, that she develops and prints herself, are printed one at a time in her darkroom. Her process is very slow and hands on, as she explains, “Making these images is a painstaking process that results in each image being a unique product of much experimentation and handling. In this technological age, having a tactile connection with the work is important to me.”

This is de Steiguer’s second Fellowship. Of her 2002 award she says, “Being an Arts Council fellow was crucial in opening doors of opportunity and was directly responsible for my work now being in the permanent collection at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park.” Even her required report back then motivated her to organize her thoughts and writings into a scripted slideshow presentation. It was time well spent. She explains, “This work has become the basis of a book that will not only make my work more available to those who can’t afford to purchase it (a dearly held priority for me), but also will help propagate awareness of my work professionally.”

Along with the recognition and motivation that a fellowship provides, de Steiguer anticipates the opportunity to get her work published and purchase necessary equipment upgrades.

Back to 2008 Fellows page

Last updated: August 22, 2007