Lucy Stone

Susan Lenz  

26 x 40 inches

2018

ARTIST STATEMENT

From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to create a hinged work that referenced antique daguerreotypes. This early photographic process employed an iodine-sensitized silver plate and mercury vapor to create a very fragile, mirror-like surface with extremely accurate and sharp details. Because the plates were so vulnerable to damage, most were presented in special folding cases, often with velvet liners and ornate clasps. I selected Lucy Stone because she refused to give up her surname upon marriage and because she and her husband, Henry, wrote their own, egalitarian wedding vows and penned a famous protest against patriarchal laws and customs governing marriage. Lucy Stone stood against all inequalities.

Photo by the artist