Conceptual nominee

Much like the dark side of the Moon, there is a dark side of pregnancy. A side that holds its own mystery and secrets. All too often the joys of motherhood are glossed over with deadly complications left undiscussed. Mothers-to-be are often portrayed as happily preparing the nursery, filled with hope for their newborn child on the way. Sadly the reality of pregnancy and childbirth is still precarious, even in this day and age. Somewhere between rare blood antigen complications and hospital germs, my son and I almost died. I felt compelled to share my experience, though at times it is still too hard to talk about.

It is my hope that this series will continue to evolve beyond a personal photo series and my "Cry for Help". By bringing attention to my experience and all of the events that unfolded, I hope to raise awareness to just a small percentage of complications that can happen during pregnancy. The time for hemoglobin research is now.

Cathy Immordino is a Los Angeles-based photographer, whose layered images form composites of personal experience and public spaces. Drawing on techniques and methods from fine art and photojournalism, Immordino’s optical layering serves as an evocative visual allegory for the complex narratives of life and memory. Immordino began her photography career after years of being a film actress, a set of experiences whose highs and lows she documented, along with architectural and urban landscape photographs of Hollywood at night. In subsequent projects and series, including a major endeavor based on her own ancestry and the history of immigration in her immediate family, she has continued to refine and evolve this fundamental structure. Layering her own stories and observations against backdrops of iconic architecture, landscapes, and public spaces where they unfolded. In this way she collapses both time and space in a surreal but familiar language composed of art history, biographical reportage, and photographic technology. Immordino has exhibited her work in galleries and institutions across the United States, co-founded the Shed Collective. She is associated with MOPLA, the LA Center for Photography, the Los Angeles Art Association, Center Santa Fe, and the Society of Photographic Educators.