Clarissa Bonet

Clarissa Bonet’s photography explores the psychology of spaces and environments. Her best-known works capture images of urban scenes in her home city, Chicago. The artist seldom depicts faces in her work, preferring cropped bodies or backs turned toward the camera frame, so as to cultivate a sense of urban anonymity. “They are scenes that go unnoticed, especially in a city where there are a million things happening at once,” she said. “But if you just watch and observe, there are so many things that are fascinating about the thousands of people going about daily life around you.” Bonet’s photographs balance images of banal street life, in a palette of blues, grays, and blacks, with a sense of intrigue and mystery. Her mastery of formal techniques imbues her work with a sense of drama, using lighting, shadow, and color to create palpable atmospheres wrought with a range of emotions.