American artist Linka Odom creates immersive photographic installations oftentimes hung in outdoor settings, including found trees to suspend her installations from. Odom’s interest in photography stems from a childhood filled with creek walking and exploration. Her images explore our world, with a focus on unique cultures and the surreal. Ms. Odom’s work is driven to influence a culture of acceptance, encouraging the viewer to reflect and ultimately gain insight on the interconnection amongst all things. Ms. Odom has earned both an M.A. in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from the Univ. of the Arts, London College of Communication and a B.F.A. in Photography from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Linka is currently based in New Orleans, LA.
I think of my installations as a method to bring the static photograph off the wall and into a space of exploration, where the viewer is encouraged to make connections. Inspiration comes from childhood adventures, and setting off to explore the unknown. I am drawn to unique cultures and authentic expressions of the self. An optimist at heart, my work didn’t start out to be about one thing or the other, but over time I have come to find that it is rooted in bridging connections. My photography tends to focus on environmental landscapes and documents people living outside the norm. My light box installations are somewhat surreal and deliberately organic, as they adapt to the locations in which I install them. Evolution, growth, and connection are all important aspects of my work. I continue to work with light boxes as I find they reach a wide audience, with their reference to the screens we spend hours and hours of our time in front of, yet they are ‘still’ images, allowing for moments of reflection.
Linka has lived in Texas, Florida, NYC, Colorado, Los Angeles, Amsterdam and Berlin, she is currently based in New Orleans, LA.
Please contact me for work!