Deb Roberts
BIOGRAPHY

I choose to concentrate on still-life photography because I have complete control over the process. Regardless of the outcome of the photograph, for that one moment when I look though the lens, I experience a level of perfection and joy that comes from what I created.

Deb Roberts controls her photographic environment by constructing small and intimate stages for her still-life subject matter. By utilizing long exposures, waiting for the ideal ambient light, and manipulating it with reflective surfaces, Deb ultimately achieves a dramatic and painterly style, reminiscent of chiaroscuro. The right light transforms the subject from ordinary and flat to electric and alive.

What at first appears to be a large and lush display of flowers is actually a very small and carefully arranged composition of floral elements and found objects. For the current exhibit , many of the botanicals used were weeds and field flowers scavenged from roadside ditches and fields. Other blossoms were acquired from local floral shops. Some arrangements hold small surprises, such as a pair of antique earrings or an insect frozen in time. The vessels used to hold the petite arrangements are also a smaller scale than they appear in the photographs and are gathered from around the home.

Arranging all elements within the photograph is a meticulous process, juxtaposing objects in a suggestive yet unanticipated manner. Deb's intention is to metamorphose her subject so that it becomes an integral part of its setting, thereby creating a sense of serenity and timelessness to the image.

Deb Roberts grew up in Chillicothe , a small rural town in northwest Missouri . During her twenties and thirties, she studied art at Central College in Pella , Iowa , Missouri Western College in St. Joseph , Missouri , and the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City , Missouri . From 1980 to 1992, she worked as a graphic designer and a product photographer for a small commercial print shop.

Deb and her husband Mike, currently reside in Columbia , Missouri .

Deb Roberts
AWARDS

•  Honorable Mention, Fine Art/Still Life for Delicate Balance , 2005 International Photographic Awards, Los Angeles , California .

•  Honorable Mention, Springhill , Columbia Art League show, American Images 2005, Columbia , Missouri .

•  Award of Excellence, Delicate Balance , MSA Craft Studio, University of Missouri, Women in the Arts 2005, Columbia, Missouri.

•  First place, Professional Division in First National Bank's Photographic Show, Visions 2005, Columbia , Missouri . The bank purchased the photograph, Regalia for their permanent collection.

•  Honorable mention, Entangled , Columbia Art League's show, Shutters 2004, Columbia , Missouri .

•  Second Place , Professional Division, in First National Bank's Photographic Show, Visions 2004, Columbia , Missouri . The bank purchased the photograph, Delicate Balance for their permanent collection.

•  First place, Acorn Squash , Columbia Art League's Membership Show 2004, Columbia , Missouri .

•  Second Place , Professional Division, in First National Bank's Photographic Show, Visions 2003, Columbia , Missouri . The bank purchased the photograph, Eres El Mango for their permanent collection.

•  First place in Columbia Art League's Membership Show 2002, Columbia , Missouri .

•  Maimie Stephenson's Award 2002, Columbia Art League, Columbia , Missouri .

•  Winner of Les Bourgeois' Fifth Annual Collector's Wine Art Competition, Columbia , Missouri .

•  Columbia Art League and Bluestem Missouri Crafts exhibit her work.