We had the good fortune of connecting with Heidi Horowitz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heidi, what matters most to you?

It is most important in my life and in my work to be able help anyone who might feel alone in a world of perceived perfection whether on a physical or emotional level. I and so many young girls were and are taught to believe that we must look and behave a certain way to attract a perfect mate or to achieve success. When the Barbie doll was created, girls wanted to not only play with the dolls but to one day be them. They were perfectly dressed, with perfect posture, makeup and hair. Even the shoes were made to fit the disproportionately small feet. The expressive facial features seemed to possess a mysterious sense of happiness, yet I saw sadness. When I began this series, it was intended as an autobiographical self portrait as it occurred to me that the expressions on the faces, combined with the clothes, hair and physical characteristics actually depicted what I was feeling at certain points in my own life whether past or present. Perceived perfection on the outside can be bought, like the doll. In reality, it simply cannot be attained. Using my background and passion for photography I was able to create this body of work that reminds me of just that. My series of photographs using dolls as the model is called “Mirror Mirror” so that one might perhaps see a part of themselves while viewing the images.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

The series is just one of many different genres that I love to photograph, from landscape, ocean and beach to street photography. I am not the first photographer to shoot Barbie dolls, nor will I be the last. I don’t work for the brand, and I am not promoting the toy. I don’t do it for laughs and I don’t do it for kids, although they see it on a different level which makes me just as happy. I use the same technical skills that I would in a street setting as if humans were my subject. I never intended to share these with the public, until I was encouraged to show them first privately and then at a few art fairs, with the hope that maybe even one person would feel an emotional connection and ask questions.  It is challenging as an artist to find a venue to exhibit and sell the work as most art fairs are gallery driven, but I prefer to have the personal one on one experience with my potential buyers. I have shown my work at Scope and Superfine during art week in Miami and New York.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

From Miami it is an hour drive to Palm Beach where I live and work part of the year. We would take the Brightline from downtown Miami and go to The Breakers Hotel, a beautiful historic landmark with the most breathtaking lobby and stretches of beach, and delicious restaurants. We would stroll through Worth Avenue visiting the art galleries and exploring the many “via’s” for some fun shopping. We would visit the Norton Museum of Art and the Flagler Museum. We would go to the Kravis Center for some culture and the zoo for some nature. Back to Miami for South Beach nightlife and a stay at the Esme Hotel or the Faena, then a trip to Vizcaya and Perez Art Museum. The design district is perfect for a fashion fix and a tour of the art deco architecture is a must for anyone visiting Miami.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I started out training with David Carol, mostly in New York City as a street photographer. I learned the technical skills and loved the entire process of figuring out light and shadow, fitting an image in the frame and feeling like I’ve built a portfolio of images that were interesting and well composed. David suggested I try some still life. He was the one who encouraged me to pursue this series as a personal narrative as well as social commentary, even though they may seem sarcastic and playful .. I am grateful for his years of time teaching me the skills and allowing me the freedom to ‘not care’ which ironically turned out to be some of my best work.

Website: Www.heidihorowitz.com

Instagram: @Heidihorowitz21

Image Credits
Heidi Horowitz

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