Artists featured in the monthly Member Spotlight are selected from our online Members' Gallery. If you wish to be considered for the Spotlight in the future, send us a note! This month we are pleased to feature Marcy Palmer. If you like her work, you can pick up one of her prints through our TPS Print Program.
Marcy Palmer - May 2026
You spent a lot of time in New York, both at school and teaching, before moving to Texas...How has the change in location affected your studio practice?
Yes, I grew up in upstate New York and then lived in New York City for several years, where I went to graduate school and then taught. I’ve since lived in Texas for many years, and I think that living in Texas has allowed me more space and time for my studio practice.
The piece you submitted to our print program, "Harvest Moon" is a unique image. Harvest Moons are well known by photographers for the warmly colored moments where the moon and the landscape can be visible in the same fleeting moment. Can you shine some extra light on the process of creating the image, and how the elements of the work symbolize larger ideas?
I, like many people, am in awe of a wonderful harvest moon. I love to see it large and low in the sky, and that feeling is something I wanted to recreate. The image I made is not exactly illustrative, but it relates to what the moon can look like. In real life, it’s a photo of a mirror with some plants around it, but in my imagination, and hopefully in the print, it becomes something more magical.
Was the process behind "Harvest Moon" similar to other works that you have made?
Yes, “Harvest Moon” was originally printed on vellum, backed with gold leaf, varnished, and wax was applied to the front of the print, which is a process I used for the series “You Are Eternity”. For the TPS print, “Harvest Moon” was then rephotographed and has been printed as a limited edition of archival inkjet prints. The original print acts as a “negative” and the archival inkjets prints are the only version of this image available.
How does the creation of new work in your studio create new ways of thinking about the world in these times we live in?
I think it helps me process contemporary issues by making the work, thinking about how it may be perceived, and considering how people might have conversations about these issues or act upon them. The creative process is of course, full of failures, but eventually something works.
What got you involved in alternative process photography? Was it something about the process that spoke to you, or was there a mentor that got you into it?
I think that various alternative processes have spoken to me by being photographs but looking somewhat different. For many of the processes, there is something akin to sculpture and/or painting that I am drawn to. I don’t have a lot of formal training in alternative processes, mostly I’ve learned them by taking workshops and through my own experimentation and reading. I’m also a photo nerd and I love digging into the visual history of the various processes.
Your images can be warm and inviting yet are inspired by various topics such as equality and women's health. What kind of message(s) do you hope your work conveys?
I like the idea of inviting the viewer into the work and having them consider what its about. My recent project, “Seeds of Strength and Resilience” is about the history of reproductive rights and our current state, which I see as a dangerous point for women’s health and for society. My approach has been to make the images haunting and beautiful, with research and meaning given to the subjects and materials in the works.
Do you ever feel tension between what you intend and what viewers project onto your images?
Yes, but I think that can be true for most artists. The theme or message needs to be clear enough to communicate through the work, but, I think, it should also allow for some reflection. Viewers will always have a range of viewpoints and perspectives, which is part of the experience of engaging with art.
What are some challenges or success stories you faced as a teacher, in regard to inspiring others to explore photography as a medium beyond what students see on their phone and in social media?
It’s been fun to explore photography and alternative processes with students who haven’t been exposed to that way of working or who are interested in communicating their ideas in a different way. I came to photography through drawing and painting, but a lot of people learn photography on its own and “messy” photographic processes can feel a bit foreign. I’ve enjoyed the reactions from students who are delighted by what they have made, are proud of the progress they have made over time, and I love hearing about shows, further studies in photography, etc.
What future projects can we look forward to seeing?
I’m in the beginning stages of something new, so please stay tuned! When it’s ready, it will make its way to my website and social media. http://www.marcypalmer.com IG: @marcy_palmer
ABOUT MARCY
Marcy Palmer grew up in the historic city of Saratoga Springs, NY. As a child, she spent time exploring the outdoors which fueled her imagination and play.
Marcy’s work explores themes of beauty and healing through the lens of photo history, nature, and science. Integrating various approaches to image-making from contemporary to historical practices, Marcy is influenced by the earlier practitioners of photography, and the Surrealist and Bauhaus movements. Recently, Marcy’s interests have focused on botanicals, and their various uses in medicine and healing, as methods of communication, and as symbols of the greater good.
Marcy has an M.F.A. in Photography & Related Media from the School of Visual Arts and a B.S. in Studio Art from Skidmore College. Her work has been exhibited at various spaces including The Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Center for Photographic Art, The Griffin Museum of Photography, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art and other spaces. Her work has been written about in Lenscratch, The Boston Globe Sunday edition, D Magazine and other publications. Marcy’s sold-out book, “You Are Eternity, You Are the Mirror” was published by Yoffy Press and recognized as a Photo-Eye 2020 favorite photobook, The Luupe’s Favorite Woman-Made Books of the Year, and Deep Red Press’s Favorite Photobooks. Marcy also teaches photography at universities, photography organizations, art centers, and museums.
Books:
“You Are Eternity, You Are the Mirror” by Marcy Palmer, poem by Khalil Gibran, published by Yoffy Press
“HUQ: I Seek No Favor” created and edited by Ashima Yadava (contributing project by Marcy Palmer)
“The Business of Fine Art Photography” by Thomas Werner, published by Focal Press (included images by Marcy Palmer)
Follow Marcy on Instagramarcy on Instagram
