By Natalie Taylor
Linda Soberman was born in Detroit, and making art has always been a part of her life. She was very creative, and made papier Mache bowls as a child. She graduated from the University of Michigan, with a degree in History, and History of Art. After that, she taught American History and Political science in a high school for a number of years.
In her mid-twenties, she moved to Seattle where she offered art classes in macramé, weaving, and particularly in batik techniques. She began to exhibit her works. Batik really “hit her,” and for a time it became her most favored medium. One day she saw the darkroom of a photographer neighbor, and was enchanted with the potentials of photography. She put it in a darkroom in her apartment.
Back in Detroit, Linda continued teaching batik, and painting furniture. But photography had really captivated her, and she began exploring different potentials with the medium. While continuing with photography, she enrolled in the MFA program at Wayne State University. Even before completing her degree, she was asked to teach photography, which she did as she continued her studies.
Following her MFA degree, Linda was hired at the College of Creative Studies in Detroit, and taught there for ten years—the only woman in the department. All this, while still doing workshops and art exhibits. However, when enrollment at the college dropped in 2000, Linda lost her job. She took a vacation to Oaxaca, and sitting in a public place, she overheard people talking. “You’ll really like San Miguel de Allende,” someone said. Curious, she decided to visit, and brought along slides of her works. She went to a photo gallery; and set up a show of her photos, shortly after. The show was extremely successful, with over 300 people showing up. This was so encouraging, Linda decided to rent a house in San Miguel. A few years later, she bought a house, and has lived here ever since.
Linda uses photographic images as a basis for her art. One of the most intriguing works I saw in her studio was a black and white photo of a serious-looking young woman. The image is partially hidden by broken glass with stains, and dried twigs have been superimposed on the original photo. It created an eerie image, a hint of a ghostly figure peeking through debris. Linda had many other photographs, either painted over, or part of a collage—each piece unique and distinctive.
In 2017, Linda had a major exhibit titled Women and Architectural Objects in San Miguel. Part of the idea was motivated by her realization that women have not been recognized in architecture, just as they have not been properly represented in so many other disciplines. She created images that began with a photo of a woman—some were her students, some random photos she had taken over the years, some were women’s faces she had drawn or painted herself. She often layers transparent photo transfers, then draws directly on the image. The other influence for this particular exhibit was Linda’s remembrance of Gaudi’s architecture, when she had been in Barcelona. Each art work began with the face of a woman, then objects of all sorts—pieces of wire or metal, coins, or any other found object, were placed around the face in a way that insinuated a building, or other architectural structure. Once these were arranged, Linda photographed them and created posters. Another creation for the exhibit was a three- dimensional piece called “Breaking the Glass Ceiling.” Inside a house structure, female figures stand on each other’s shoulders, and the topmost figure comes through the broken glass ceiling. The message was self-evident.
Just like everyone else, Linda was affected by the pandemic and the lockdown. She had to suspend classes, workshops, and exhibits. It is only now, two years after, that she is once again making plans for all of these events in the near future.
Although much of Linda’s work is printmaking, she has also created three dimensional works—sculptures and structures with found objects. She also has a collection of most unusual necklaces, bracelets, and other pieces of jewelry made with wires, plastic, and any other material she collects. Her work has been shown in national and international venues. The best way to appreciate Linda’s art, is to visit her gallery and see all of the art in person. You may contact her at lindasoberman@gmail.com to program a visit.
Natalie Taylor: BA in English Lit and Journalism, Loyola University, Chicago, 1995. MFA in Creative Writing, Vermont College, Montpelier, VT, 1999. Published writer, editor, journalist. Spanish teacher in the US, English teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Translator. www.natalietaylor.org Contact: tangonata@gmail.com
