Searching After Wildness - journals of a photographic artist

Back in February, I gave a talk about creativity at the Kellar Mahaney Gallery. Here’s that talk edited down to a 10 minute version.

I’ve started a new photography project. I’m setting up the images as an allegory for entering the unknown. A friend asked me about how projects begin, so I thought I’d talk through this one as an example.

The idea for this project was sparked by a comment during a critique of my work. The reviewer was looking at a landscape image with a layered composition. The middle layer, containing a tree, was in focus, but the foreground and background were blurred. He said that it made him feel inside the image. A week later, I wondered: If an image can place a viewer inside, then what’s the journey like that gets you inside, and then beyond? How does one enter and become familiar with the unknown? In that moment, the question became intensely intriguing. I can’t tell you why other than it seemed to bring together several threads that had been in my head and in my life. It was an “ah ha!” moment.

I find that new projects tend to start this way, as a tangential thought that grows into an obsession. The critic’s comment wasn’t really related to the new project, but it was enough of a little shove to have me notice a new path.

It took two or three weeks after that before I took a picture. I was hesitant to start, because taking a picture might kill the idea. Having a project idea doesn’t mean I actually have a project. It’s just a hunch that may or may not work out. I was really exited about this particular hunch and I didn’t want to start taking pictures just to find out that I couldn’t pull it off.

I took pictures over two months and edited them down to a printed portfolio. There’s a really wonderful moment after the first few prints when you realize that the project could actually work. In the past month, I’ve been using this portfolio as a proof of concept. I have a feeling that I’ll be shooting for this project for another year or two. But, I’ve got enough to illustrate the concept and I needed some feedback. This is the first time I’ve intently sought this much reaction early on and it’s been very helpful. I’ve had some long, intense conversations over these images. I’m grateful for comments like, “this image really makes me feel…”, and “I really don’t get what you’re trying to do with these two.” I’m getting a better grasp of which methods better fit the concept. Some of it is about editing and sequencing. Some of it is about trying out a different approach.

I’m going to let these conversations ferment for a bit, maybe for another week or two. And then, I should go and take more pictures.

In the past several weeks, I:

Smelled spring flowers.
Worked on a new photo project about entering the unknown.
Went camping in the Smokey Mountains.
Saw stars in the sky.
Worked 60 and 70 hour weeks, got burnt out.
Sat on my butt and felt like I squandered my time.
Had a yard sale in 40° weather, just after a string of 80° days.
Walked in a creek with my fifteen month old daughter.
Lost sleep by judging a friend too soon.
Witnessed a new friend pull her life together.
Rode my bike to work.
Hugged my sister, whom I haven’t seen in a year.
Saw someone cry from viewing one of my photographs.

I wrote part 1 about two months ago. Better late than never, here are some of the photographers I met at FotoFest. I appreciated their work, insight and worthwhile company. Check them out:

Jessica Auer

Megan Cump

Stephen Gross

Amanda James

Mark Malloy

Dana Miller

Carolyn Monastra

Whitney Vosburgh

Last week, I traveled to Houston, Texas to participate in the FotoFest Meeting Place portfolio review. I was assigned nineteen reviews over four days. Each review is a twenty minute one-on-one meeting with photo publishers, gallery owners and museum curators. I’ve talked to artists that work in other mediums and none of them knew of any similar events outside of photography. This was my first review event. After going, I’m still amazed that these types of gatherings exist.

The evening before the first day of reviews, I went to a welcome reception for the participants. I met a photographer that had recently participated Review LA, a well respected event in Los Angeles. He said that it went well, but he was nervous about FotoFest. I asked why, assuming that LA would have prepared him for what to expect here. Oh no, Fotofest is the “big one”, he replied. Oh, I said. Oh my, said the voice in my head.

Weeks before, I was torn on what images to bring. What size should the prints be? How many? Should I bring newer work or older work? I asked fellow photographers. I asked a couple of art dealers. They all had different opinions. I ended up bringing images from two projects, “Where the Fairies Are” and “Little Pieces All Together”. I brought more images than I would actually present, so I could do a final edit once I got there. I ended up showing about fifteen images from each series, printed at 12″x18″. The prints were collected in a black folio box. I also brought three 22″x33″ prints rolled in a tube.

The reviews take place in a hotel banquet room. The photographers wait outside until their session time and then all rush in together to find their reviewer among the forty-some tables in the room. I find my first reviewer, a gallery owner. We make introductions and I sit down. The room is loud with forty simultaneous conversations. The reviewer slowly flips through my images. She starts to make a comment, and I lean in to better hear what she’s saying. This is really wonderful work, she says. I’ll definitely be in touch. My shoulders relax a little and I smile.

Of course, not everyone was as enthusiastic. One reviewer slowly flipped through all my images, paused for several seconds and took a deep breath. He said, how do I put this…. this work you have, it is not art. Then it’s my turn for the deep breath. OK, I’ve come here to learn. He articulately explained why and then suggested several ways to make the work better. I listened. He was one of the more critical reviewers, but he may have also been one of the most useful.

I had high expectations for Meeting Place and it turned out even better than I expected. The preparation, time and expenses were well worth it. It’s hard to imagine a better way to get so much high quality feedback in a such a concentrated amount of time. After four days, I was exhausted. In between the reviews I chatted and shared work with the other photographers. In the evenings we went to some of the many FotoFest exhibits around town. Even without the reviews, meeting the other photographers and seeing the exhibits would have been worth the trip. I’ll be saying more about that in the next post.

I’m excited to announce a new series of work, presented as a solo exhibition at Kellar Mahaney Gallery. All the images are from one day in the Grand Tetons. I previously wrote about that day here. Here’s the info:

Andy Chen: Snow Day
Opening reception Feb 5, 5-9pm
exhibit continues through Mar 6
Kellar Mahaney Gallery, Zionsville, IN

SNOW DAY

Snow Day is a series of photographs taken among the Grand Tetons in Wyoming on an afternoon’s walk to Taggart Lake.  We were nineteen days into a two-month wilderness road trip in October of 2008 and these photos capture the season’s very first snow.

In the months prior, we converted a Chevy cargo van into a camper, outfitting it with a pop-up top, bed, stove, bathroom, backpacking gear and guitar. I brought along my camera and my wife Hannah (who was five months pregnant then) brought along a sense of adventure.

There isn’t anything much better than fresh snow to pique my curiosity of transitions, mystery and wonder. We had hiked for several days before in wearing, drizzling rain.  We went to bed in anticipation and we woke up to a frosted landscape.  It was a snow day.

INvision Casserole 2010 is here, with a reception this Friday. I’ll be showing a few pieces from an ongoing project of portraits taken with my cell phone camera.

There’ll be new work from nine photographers. Come on out and join us. I’ll be bringing a breakfast casserole to add to the delicious offerings. We’ll eat with our mouths and eyes and warm each other’s hearts. How ’bout that!

A couple of videos of me describing “Stone Table” and “Moss”. The opening reception is tonight at wUG LAKU’s STUDIO & gARAGE. If you’re near Indianapolis, there are some wonderful exhibits opening tonight for the First Friday Art Tour. Come on out for a great night around town.

View three more videos in Fairies Footage – part 1.

Earlier this week, Wug Laku and I discussed the Where The Fairies Are exhibit as Pete Brown took video.

“Where the Fairies Are” is opening as a gallery show! It would be my pleasure to have you join me at Wug Laku’s Studio and Garage this Friday for the opening reception.

Where the Fairies Are
Opening reception Dec 4. 6-10pm
Wug Laku’s Studio and Garage
Circle Center Industrial Complex
1125 Brookside Ave C7, Indianapolis, IN
Exhibit continues through December 23 January 23, 2010