Local Grand Rapids photographer Claudia S. Liberatore first picked up a camera as a young wife and mother of three children, looking for a way to bring some structure and a sense of control into her life. She bought herself a small single-lens reflex camera, took a camera handling class, and began recording life as it happened around her each day.

Eventually, Liberatore became experimental within her photography, trying out different cameras, exploring different dark room and exposure techniques, and layering images on top of one another into one single printed photograph. These images combined different subjects like outside and inside; people and place, light and dark; all representing Liberatore’s life as a wife and mother. Liberatore’s photography led her down a path of exploration and playfulness while challenging the medium itself.

Beyond finding herself within the technology and experimentation of photography, Liberatore was also inspired to combine the art of photography with that of sculpture. Still heavily influenced by her family and everyday life around her, Liberatore began combining familiar objects, like her grandmother’s recipe box, with her photographs. Still with family at the heart of everything, Liberatore’s photographs and assemblages speak of everyday life, bringing a sense of comfort, home, and family with each view.

Explore more artwork by Claudia S. Liberatore