Ideas - Chris McCaw

Chris McCaw
Photographer
By: Kylee Diedrich


Chris McCaw is a contemporary photographer who has been working with the medium starting at the age of 13.  He taught himself photography with fisheye lenses and film in the 80s.  In the 90s McCaw bought a 4"x5" camera to begin working with platinum/palladium printing processes, he used other with larger format cameras as well.  He has since worked with other analog techniques and explores extreme possibilities of the medium. 

The project I find most interesting is his project Sunburn where he explores the limitations of film.  This is what McCaw states about his process: 

In this process the sun burns its path onto the light sensitive negative. After hours of exposure, the sky, as a result of the extremely intense light exposure, reacts in an effect called solarization- a natural reversal of tonality through over exposure. The resulting negative literally has a burnt hole in it with the landscape in complete reversal. The subject of the photograph (the sun) has transcended the idea that a photograph is simple a representation of reality,  and has physically come through the lens and put it’s hand onto the final piece. This is aprocess of creation and destruction, all happening within the the camera.

McCaw makes contemporary photography, but addresses the history of the medium throughout his process.  He learns more about his method of making as years go on and learns from military aerial reconnaissance camera optics and the history of photo papers.  McCaw discusses the love for his process as such:

 This project has got my mind working overtime and has rejuvenated my faith in analog photography. My favorite part is watching smoke come out of the camera during the exposure and the faint smell of roasted marshmallows as the gelatin cooks!

When relating McCaw's work with my own, I find the art of photography fascinating.  The functions of the camera, and how hands-on the whole process can be.  I also enjoy the uncertainty in the process of analog and love many the possibilities with photography. 

Event Review - James Nares Lecture

In Conversation: James Nares

Saturday, January 28, 3:00pm  Lubar Auditorium, Milwaukee Art Museum
in conjunction with  Helen Levitt: In the Street | James Nares: In the City January 27 through April 16, 2017
by Kylee Diedrich

James Nares is a multimedia visual artist.  He was born in London, United Kingdom and went to school for Visual Arts.  He moved to New York City to work as an artist in 1974.  He creates thought provoking and intense works that force the viewer to be uncomfortable, hypnotized and engrossed in the viewing of his work.  His main themes reference movement, rhythms, and repetition. I think he works intuitively and spontaneously while also being precise and conscious of his process. During the talk, Nares discusses a wide scope of his work from when he started out to the most current projects, one called In the City which is showing in the Milwaukee Art Museum. He also has a project named Portraits up in the Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York City, NY. 

From watching his videos he seems to enjoy the balance between physics, art and rhythm. My favorite part of his talk was when he showed called Globe. The video was created in 2007 and is truly hypnotic with the music he chose. I could honestly watch this for hours and never become bored.  I found the video exhibited at the museum interesting, In the City, because he changes how people are viewed and breaks down a barrier between how people want to be seen, and how people are actually seen.  His video, Drip uses changes in sound and speed -- like all of his videos, they are hypnotic.  I feel as though I am in a trance when I view them, everything in the world goes away and I am placed in this other world.