Project Statement:
In this project, taxidermied and live animals are combined with landscape photos and other elements. The idea came to me as a way to portray animals in a formal portrait of sorts, be it humorous or serious. The montage is a way of giving second life to the animals. It shows a different way of viewing them, as I often put them in an environment where they would not normally be seen. When weaving them together, I am spinning a story in my head, hoping that anyone that sees them also creates their own story. After combining all the photos and fragments, I meld them together with textures. Adding textures to my images gives them a new dimension, the painterly quality of a formal portrait. Since I was once a painter, working in this medium is an extension of that process for me.
Artist Bio:
Dale Niles was born in Norfolk, Virginia. She received her BA in sociology from Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina. Upon graduation, she interned as a probation officer.
Niles’ recent and upcoming exhibits include APG Gallery for Portfolio 2018, Brickworks Gallery in Atlanta, Depth of Field in Carmel, California; Arts Clayton Gallery in Jonesboro, Georgia; Slow Exposures in Georgia, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) in Atlanta, Rankin Gallery in Columbus, Georgia; and Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Online, her work has appeared in NYC4PA “One” exhibit, Chromatic Photo Awards​, International Photography awards, Santa Fe Workshops, and Moscow International Foto Awards.
Publications include Light and Shadow Magazine, SXSE Magazine, Shots, and Oxford America.
