yarddogphotography.com

On a personal and social level I have always known Biba to treat everybody she encounters in exactly the same way. That is to say usually without judgement, without unnecessary psychological scrutiny (which is more and more common too our times), without any pre conceived idea too of who exactly or what exactly they are. This inherent quality of her character provides for me one of the vital keys in which to understand her photographic approach. We see her subjects willingly look into the lens without any apprehension or self consciousness. Their gaze is trusting, natural, and never apprehensive in the presence of her as photographer. A rare relationship between subject and picture maker. All too often we see photographs and images overburdened with heavy conceptual or technical concerns and therefore obscuring the very human relationship between subject and artist. In any environment or situation her images carry a common continuity of people simply being themselves.this is as true as her extensive portraits of Texans, Mexicans, Dubliners, artists or migrant workers and children. Each portrait carries the same human weight, people just as folk, as pure and simple or as complicated as they or their stories may be. Such simplicity is hard to capture in any medium whether it be sculpture, painting or song. For my part the works resonate deeply on the basis that she is constantly engaged purely in the act of seeing, and seeing again. Always as if for the first time. N.C. Lawlor