Denise Laurinaitis is an artist whose work expresses an implied narrative and explores topics of memory, identity and what it means to feel nostalgic. Each photograph is a reminder that the past and present are always connected. Denise holds a BA from Georgetown University, a JD from Hofstra University School of Law, has studied at the International Center of Photography, and is currently pursuing an MFA at Maine Media College. Denise has won numerous awards, including PRC Choice Award (Directors Award) at Photographic Resource Center’s Exposure 2023, Third Place Winner at Soho Photo Gallery’s 2023 National Competition and Honorable Mention at Colorado Photographic Arts Center’s 2023 Member’s Show. She was selected as a Critical Mass Top 200 Finalist in 2023 and 2021 by Photolucida. Her work has been exhibited nationally.
Artist Statement
I believe that memories remain strong if we hold them close. Making photographs is my way to contend with the experience of loss and the potential loss of memory. I watch for unexpected in-between moments that give us pause, the glimmers that mark moments of calm, and the stories that allow us to feel the space between reality and memory. My focus on details smothered in striking light and fleeting moments composed in layered scenes, provide the viewer with evocative details that conjure their own memories.
In reflecting on my imagery, I recall a Greek saying, translated to English, “memory eternal,” used when someone dies. It is my nostalgia about the past and wonderment for the future, that drives my desire to create art that evokes my viewers’ personal histories.