Lynn Stern

The central concern in Stern’s work is luminosity. In 1985 she began using a naturally backlit translucent white fabric to convey the essence of light. Unveilings (1985) features flowers juxtaposed with the folds of a glowing white fabric. Whiteness (1987) focuses solely on the purity of light. Dispossession (1990–’92) is a series of 12 composite works in which human skulls are set against a luminous white fabric, in counterpoint with Stern's face portrayed as a death mask beneath them. The theme of Dispossession is not actual death, but the mind's preoccupation with it – the human struggle to cope with mortality. The Animus (1995–‘97) series, featuring animal skulls, evolved from Dispossession. Creating split-toned negative prints, Stern transformed the luminous white fabric into a rich dark color, causing the animal skulls behind it to come alive in white. In Veiled Still Lifes (1994–2003), Stern photographed vases behind a translucent black fabric, creating a dark, textured luminosity. In all of her series, the space between objects becomes as important as the objects themselves. Later series – (W)Holes, (1994–2006), Ghost Circles (2004–’07) and Full Circle (2001–’09) – furthered her work with skulls and moved increasingly toward abstraction. Five books of Stern's work have been published: Unveilings (1988), Dispossession (1995), Animus (2000), Veiled Still Lifes (2006) and Frozen Mystery (2010), which accompanied her retrospective exhibition at the Museo Fundación Cristóbal Gabarrón in Spain.

In 1977, Stern studied at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City, but soon found herself at odds with a curriculum that was oriented toward photojournalism. She left to study privately with Joseph Saltzer, then printed with Paul Caponigro from 1981 to 1982. Her early influences included Caponigro, Edward Weston, and the 19th century American Luminist painters. Later influences include the writings and black paintings of Ad Reinhardt, and the work of Francis Bacon.

Stern has been married twice. She divorced architect Robert A.M. Stern in 1977; they had one son, Nicholas S. G. Stern. In 1980, she married architect Jeremy Lang.

Lynn Stern (born 1942) is an American photographer, known for her black and white photographs produced using natural light. Stern began to pursue photography as a career in the late 1970s. She lives and works in New York City. Stern's work is held in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Center for Creative Photography.