Joanne Chase-Mattillo was born in the beautiful Midwestern University town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. From an early age, she was drawn to the arts and eventually began studying photography and other creative disciplines with intensity and purpose. Her academic journey led her to California, where in 2000 she earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Photography from California State University, Los Angeles. This formal education laid the groundwork for an artistic career defined by experimentation, elegance, and emotional depth.
As a visual artist, Joanne works across a wide range of mediums. She photographs in both color and black-and-white film, while also embracing digital photography. Her innovative approach includes the use of infrared imaging and the creation of 3D anaglyphs, inviting viewers to see the world through a different lens, sometimes quite literally, using red/blue glasses. With each project, she pushes the boundaries of what photography can do, always seeking new ways to express beauty, memory, and emotion.
Thematic Photography and the Power of Montage
One of the hallmarks of her creative practice is her ability to merge multiple photographic worlds. She frequently conducts themed studio shoots, photographing both female and male models in carefully constructed, often dramatic settings. These portraits are then combined with her evocative nature photography to form striking photo montages.
Her ability to interweave the human form with natural landscapes transforms ordinary portraiture into something mythic and otherworldly. A face may emerge from the mist of a forest. A figure may rest beneath an expansive, painterly sky. These compositions suggest stories that unfold in the space between dream and memory. Through the fusion of man and nature, she creates visual narratives that speak to transformation, identity, and the unconscious.
Each montage is not just a combination of images; it is a carefully composed visual poem, where the placement of each element carries symbolic weight. Her montages serve as layered experiences, inviting viewers to return again and again to find new meaning.
Inspired by Classic Cinema
The artist vision is deeply influenced by the golden era of classic cinema. She speaks with admiration of films where every element, set design, lighting, costume, acting, and direction, was a work of art in itself. Her photography strives to capture that same sense of theatrical elegance and timeless emotion.
In her artist statement for the piece titled Three Resting Under the Sun, she explains how she seeks to emulate “the beauty and drama that can be seen in the finest examples of movie magic.” This desire is evident in the way she composes her images. Light and shadow are treated with reverence. Poses and expressions are carefully chosen to evoke emotional nuance. Each photo could be a single frame from an unseen film, frozen in time and layered with unspoken meaning.
Rather than simply documenting a moment, Joanne creates scenes that suggest narrative and character. Her camera is not just a tool but a storyteller, channeling the spirit of classic filmmaking through still imagery.
Embracing Innovation and Multimedia Art
While her work is rooted in traditional photographic principles, Joanne is also a firm believer in innovation. Her toolkit includes digital cameras, specialized filters, editing software, and 3D techniques. She has explored the use of infrared photography to render familiar landscapes in surreal new ways, and she creates anaglyph images that give her compositions added depth and dimension.
In addition to still photography, Joanne has expanded her creative output into video art. Her YouTube channel, THE VIDEO ART OF JOANNE CHASE-MATTILLO, features a growing collection of experimental works that blur the line between photo and film. These time-based pieces are quiet, contemplative, and rich with visual symbolism. Rather than following a linear narrative, her videos explore mood, movement, and metaphor.
Video has become an extension of her photographic sensibility. She treats each frame with painterly care, using motion not for spectacle but for subtle emotional resonance. These moving artworks invite viewers to slow down and become immersed in the atmosphere, echoing the meditative quality found in her still images.
A Global Artistic Presence
Joanne Chase-Mattillo’s work has found an audience well beyond the borders of the United States. She has exhibited her art throughout California and across the country, but her international reach is even more impressive. Her photography has been showcased in Korea, France, England, Switzerland, Scotland, Taiwan, Greece, Spain, Germany, Japan, Belgium, Holland, Brazil, Canada, Dubai, and Italy.
This wide exposure speaks to the universal appeal of her art. Despite being highly personal and rooted in American and cinematic traditions, her images resonate with people around the world. Audiences are drawn to the emotional honesty, the visual richness, and the dreamlike quality that permeates her work.
Wherever her photographs are shown, they evoke a sense of stillness, introspection, and beauty. They are not loud or ostentatious. Instead, they whisper their stories, inviting viewers into a moment of quiet connection.
A Distinctive Voice in Contemporary Visual Art
She has carved out a space in the contemporary art world as a photographer who honors tradition while embracing innovation. Her work combines the grace of classical portraiture, the depth of nature photography, the storytelling of cinema, and the potential of new media.
In an era overflowing with images, her photographs stand apart for their sincerity and craft. Each one feels considered, deliberate, and emotionally true. Whether viewed in a gallery or on a screen, her art encourages us to slow down, to look deeply, and to appreciate the subtle interplay of light, subject, and story.
Joanne continues to evolve as an artist, always curious, always exploring. Through her lens, she shows us not just what she sees, but how she feels. And in doing so, she helps us see ourselves and the world around us with fresh eyes.
