Alumni Feature: Kendal Bryan

Photographer Kendal Bryan seeks moments of quiet movement in her images

Sunlight streamed through a window inside Westminster Abbey, as if creating another dimension within the cathedral where Kendal Bryan stood. There were no walls between her and this second space; only an invisible line between light and dark, where she could slip easily between sunshine and shadow. It was calm, still, ethereal. Sitting in the Abbey’s pews and encompassed by its imposing architecture, Bryan felt at home. The feeling evoked memories of time spent in her bedroom when she was growing up. As an introvert living an active, busy lifestyle, Bryan’s room was her sanctuary — a place to think, to meditate and to be alone. Sometimes she would just sit and watch the sun shift the shadows on the wall.

Now a photographer, Bryan strives to capture the same sense of stillness that she experienced in her childhood bedroom and in Westminster Abbey, in her photographs.

Quiet Movement Bryan has been told by some people that her photographs are sad, but she considers “melancholy” or “serene” more appropriate descriptors. Despite the overall feeling of quiet conveyed in her images, Bryan is purposeful about including movement in her photographs.

“I try to make sure that the light creates some kind of space, like there is some kind of divide in the room, like a reflection, or the photo is cut into certain thirds, or a different angle in the room to make it look like something is shifting,” Bryan said. “I want to create some kind of motion for your mind so you don’t become bored.” Read the full article by Abby Weidmer at art.byu.edu.