Entering the world of Helen Warner is to delve into a ghostly place, where haunting and magic are the standard, where all is sheathed in cloaks of dark mystery, and one can imagine witches and fairies and demons alike sharing secret corners of shrouded lands.
Ms. Warner's vision is gothic and vicarious, allowing the viewer to participate in her world while remaining just outside of it, like something glimpsed on the edge of the peripheral. She takes an unobtrusive role and allows the intense, energetic subject matter to tell the story on its own, allowing us to feel like we stumbled upon the strange scene all by ourselves.
Her photos hold a dichotic balance of elegant and edgy, light and dark, welcoming and foreboding.
In short, I want to go to there.
