Photographer, screenwriter, and producer Carolyn Marks Blackwood was born in Anchorage, Alaska. From her studio on the edge of a 120-foot cliff over the Hudson River, she creates photographs that transform the play of light, weather, and water into vivid fields of color that, while verging on abstraction, are firmly anchored in the unique spirit and heritage of the Hudson. Her photography is inextricably linked to the traditions of painting; she cites among her influences the abstract expressionist painters of the New York School, and her work inevitably calls to mind the artists Hudson River School, who were similarly captivated by the river’s protean grandeur.
In 2015, Blackwood was featured by Artnet News in its piece Five Artists to Watch: The Photography Edition. Artnet wrote, “By playing with perspective, Blackwood pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a landscape photographer, widening the parameters of the genre from the typical vast romantic landscapes to an appreciation for the minuscule and the unseen in nature.”
Blackwood is represented in Los Angeles by Von Lintel Gallery. Her photographs can be found in the collections of the Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, CT; the Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY; and the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; as well as in many private collections. In addition to her work as a photographer, she is a principal partner of Magnolia Mae Films, which has produced, among others movies, The Invisible Woman (2013), Philomena (2013), and the Academy-Award winning film The Duchess (2008).