Interview » Lynn Lennon, Fantasy Self Portrait Series, 1970s.

Egg, 1976
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Today I am quite excited to feature another series of remarkable image works by American photographer Lynn Lennon (Johnson). Back in May many of you admired her rich documentary coverage of the State Fair of Texas from the 1980s. It was a very popular post. Since that time Lynn and I have been in email correspondence regularly. She is 82 years young and is very vivacious and creative with a keen sense of humor. In the process of our email exchanges she shared a few lovely bits from an extensive self portrait series she shot beginning in 1976. I immediately wished to see more. Lynn’s Fantasy Self Portrait series has been exhibited across the States plus Europe—this black and white collection is clever, conceptual and often times poignant or playful. The photos above and below represent less than half of the works, there are thirty total photographs in the series. A portion of these surreal works were created utilizing multiple negatives, specifically from two to nine negatives.

I asked Lynn if I might feature these exquisite images on AQ-V and interview her as well. Really pleased she agreed. So without further ado let’s learn more about Lynn and her portrait series…

[ All images © Lynn Lennon Johnson. All rights reserved ]

As a Work of Art, 1978
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Q: Who is Lynn Lennon?

A: I was born in Dallas in 1927 and have lived here all my life. I graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Art and English. I married during my junior year and after graduation we had two children, a boy and a girl. For a number of years I painted in oils. My work was represented by the 2719 Gallery in Dallas and Limited Editions in New York.

In 1969 I became seriously interested in black and white photography. Eventually I had shows in galleries and museums across the country and in Dublin, Paris and London. I was asked to make a documentary on the Sugar Cane Industry in Louisiana for the Riverside Museum in Baton Rouge and one on the Cowboy of the Southwest for the American Beef Association. I was sent to Africa to do a documentary on Rob Glen, the sculptor, at his studio in Kenya, while he was working on a huge equestrian piece destined for a public square near Dallas in Irving.

My favorite thing to do is travel and I have been fortunate to have many wonderful and exciting trips. I have bicycled through China, ridden elephants in India and camels in Egypt. I have spent a week living and traveling in a Gypsy horse drawn wagon with my children in Ireland and the three of us lived on a boat and traveled on the canals of Holland. I have ridden the Orient Express and have traveled with my son on a small boat navigating the length of the Thames River and back to London. I don’t intend to stop now. I spent time in Italy last November and I’m hoping to make at least one more trip before I throw in the towel.

Now I am making jewelry. My most recent interest is collecting and using antique Victorian carved meerschaum pipes in my pieces. (See samples of Lynn’s jewelry toward the end of this post.)

Swan, 1977

Above the City, 1979
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Q: How did you first become interested in photography?

A: My father had photography as one of his interests. He had served in WWII and told stories of how he smuggled his camera aboard the troop ship carrying his unit to Europe and talked his buddies into concealing his film in their packs. He developed film in the trenches in the dark of night using his helmet and mess kit as vessels.

When I was nine he gave me a viewfinder from an old Speed Graphic camera. It was about 1”x 1 ½” with crosshairs and a small metal piece attached by a spring that I could push down and release with a click. I carried it with me everywhere. I can remember at recess when we played baseball, standing out in the field composing imaginary pictures through the lens and clicking it instead of watching for the ball.

I asked for a camera for the next Christmas and received a Baby Brownie. I usually had it with me and photographed mostly dogs that I encountered on the street. My father rigged up a very elementary darkroom in an unused room and together we developed my film and made contact prints. It was absolute magic to see that image gradually emerge in the developing tray. I was hooked.

Coney Island at Dawn, 1978

Pulling My Own Strings, 1979
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Q: Tell us about your Fantasy Self Portrait series.

A: The idea for the Fantasy Self Portrait series began in 1976. The Allen Street Gallery was putting together a show titled Coming Out—a formal introduction to the women photographers of Dallas. Each of the nineteen photographers was asked to do a self-portrait as a way of identifying ourselves. I set about to make a self portrait and explored a number of different ideas. In one attempt I put on a long gauze dress which I had but had never worn. I put the camera on a tripod and hung a white sheet over a large window in my bedroom to form a background I found the dress fun to move in—very fluid. The light shown through it in interesting ways. The dress was quite simple and it occurred to me that it could serve as an evening gown, a nightgown, a shroud, an angle’s robe, or any of many guises. I began to think of situations where the dress could be used as a prop in a picture. I used one of the ideas in the Allen Street show but I kept thinking of new ways to use the dress. In the beginning the series was almost more about the dress than about me. I was just inventing ways the dress could be visually interesting or symbolic.

My parents were both not well and I had brought them to live with me. I needed to be home much of the time. I could work on this project and stay at home. The first things were done using a tripod, a 20 foot cable release and the 10 second timer. Later on when the ideas were more complicated I sometimes needed a helper.

The rules I decided on were:

The dress would be used in all photographs.
I would be barefoot and wear nothing but the dress.
I would take the pictures by myself whenever possible.

Later when the ideas involved going to other locations I always wanted a friend to go with me. I felt too conspicuous in public barefoot and in the flowing gown. The presence of another person and a camera and tripod seemed to make anything acceptable.

Stealing the Horns, 1976

Fire, 1979
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Q: What inspires you? Who/what influenced your work?

A: I grew up looking at the wonderful reportage in Life magazine by some of the best photographers of their day. My art classes in college, although we didn’t touch on photography, helped develop my eye and sense of composition.

Bird at the Window, 1978

At Sea, 1977
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Lynn’s commentary in response to someone who had inquired about this photograph:

This raft and umbrella picture was taken in the Gulf of Mexico. I was visiting an artist friend of mine who lived near the beach in Port Aransas. I was there for a week while we were helping each other with projects. While walking on the beach one evening we came across what was left of a small homemade raft, probably put together by children. Right then I had an idea for a fantasy picture that I wanted to do if my friend was willing to help. The next morning Roy brought a hammer and nails and rope and I brought my camera and umbrella.  He repaired and strengthened the raft. He sat on the raft while I viewed through the lens and decided on the distance I wanted. Then Roy nailed the rope to the raft and tied the other end around his waist so that the distance from raft to lens would be consistent. I set the lens for that distance. We dragged the raft into the water for quite a distance until the water was to our waists and I climbed on and opened the umbrella. Roy kept walking out into the gulf until the water was up to his chest. He held the camera high over his head to keep it dry and tried to point it at me. He was having a great deal of trouble keeping his footing against the pull of the water and the weight of the raft. I kept my eye on the camera and whenever I could see straight into the lens I would say “Now” and he would click the shutter. I kept count and when we had taken thirty six exposures Roy towed us back to shore. Exhausting but fun (for me) and all 36 exposures were usable. I only had to choose my favorite.

Bell Tower, 1977

Floating Away, 1979
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Q: How would you like to be remembered?

A: If we are speaking of my work, even thought I have worked in a lot of different mediums I think I would most like to be remembered as a photographer. I spent twenty five years happily consumed by my work in that medium. Those years were mostly between my two marriages when my children were in high school or on their own so I was free to spend most of my waking hours either thinking about photography, taking pictures or in the darkroom.

Coney Island Bathing Beauties, 1978
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Q: Might you have any words of advice to young art photographers?

A: Soon after I started in photography I joined a Dallas co-op gallery, the Allen Street Gallery, which grew quite large in membership and through the gallery I made so many wonderful friends. Seven of us formed a critique group that met once a month. We all brought new work to be looked at and we were very honest and tough in our evaluations. I think I learned more from this experience than through any other. If you are lucky to find a group like that, jump at it or start one of your own.

Lynn’s jewelry incorporates Victorian carved meerschaum pipes
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A huge thank you to Lynn for graciously sharing her work, history, expertise and time! And of course I look forward to keeping in touch.

[ All images © Lynn Lennon Johnson. All rights reserved. ]
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