Visual Archetypes

“It is our nature to ignore what is unpleasant, but sometimes I get a glimpse of the sublime in ordinary places. When I find it, it feels like I have discovered gold.” Natalie Christensen (b. 1966) is a photographer based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is known for minimalist abstractions of the American Southwest. Christensen’s 25-year career as a psychotherapist informs her artistic practice, blending an analytical sensibility with colourful aesthetics. She has been influenced by the theories of Carl Jung (1875-1961), particularly the three interacting systems of the ego, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. Each image, whilst seemingly unassuming, reflects deeper thoughts about the city and its structures. Here, angular buildings and their shadows can be interpreted as archetypal phenomena, and the city-dweller – hinted at through the camera lens – makes reference to the Jungian notion of the communal experience. nataliechristensenphoto.com.


Image Credits:
1. Natalie Christensen, Fissures (2017).
2. Natalie Christensen, New Mexico Light Play (2018).
3. Natalie Christensen, A Good Day (2017).
4. Natalie Christensen, Surveillance (2017).
5. Natalie Christensen, Open Door (2017).
6. Natalie Christensen, There’s a Key (2019).