Caleb Charland

“There is no better, there is no more open door by which you can enter into the study of natural philosophy than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle. I trust, therefore, I shall not disappoint you in choosing this for my subject rather than any newer topic, which could not be better, were it even so good.”  -Michael Faraday

I hope June is treating you well. My two solo shows in Boston and Chicago have been well received, please read the review!  Now that the shows are up and rolling I’ve had time to return to the darkroom to make some new work with the light and wax from red candles. These new works are made with 4 sheets of 20×16 inch silver gelatin paper. I hope you enjoy them

Circle #1601 (Fire and Wax)

Circle #1602 (Fire and Wax)

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Backscatter Review

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I am so thrilled to announce my show Backscatter will open this Friday at Gallery Kayafas 450 Harrison Ave Boston MA 02118. I will be exhibiting work diverse in its scale and approach to the medium of photography (photograms, contacts, inkjets, scanner work, view camera, etc) yet visually harmonious. I will be premiering several of my newest projects including pieces made with the light and wax of  candles, Star Fields, and many pictures from Back to Light in which I draw energy from organic materials. I hope you can see it!

By exploring the world at hand, from the basement to the backyard, I have found a resonance in things. An energy vibrates in that space between our perceptions of the world and the potential the mind senses for our interventions within the world. This energy is the source of all true art and science, it breeds those beloved “Ah Ha!” moments and it allows us to sense the extraordinary in the common.

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I’ve been busy preparing work for two solo shows this May so it has been a while since my last post. One show is in Boston at Gallery Kayafas which opens May 17th in conjunction with the flash forward photo festival http://www.flashforwardfestival.com/exhibitions/backscatter, My show at Schneider Gallery in Chicago opens May 3rd. Please be sure to visit if you’re in the area.

I’ve also been making more work with the light and wax from candles. These newest pieces are bigger prints at 20 x 16 inches and 24 x 20 inches! I’m exploring working with the circle as it shows a bit more logic and something of a system to this still unpredictable process. The colors as quite accurate in these digitized versions and such a surprise each time! Enjoy.

Artifact 1610 (Fire and Wax) Unique gelatin silver print 20 x 16 inches

Artifact 1610-Detail

Artifact 1607 (Fire and Wax) Unique gelatin silver print 20×16 inches

Artifact 2405 (Fire and Wax)
Unique gelatin silver print 24×20 inches

Artifact 2405-Detail

Artifact 2403 (Fire and Wax)
Unique gelatin silver print 24×20 inches

Artifact 1611 (Fire and Wax)
Unique gelatin silver print
20 x 16 inches

Artifact 1606 (Fire and Wax)
Unique gelatin silver print
20 x 16 inches

Artifact 1601 (Fire and Wax)
Unique gelatin silver print
20 x 16 inches

Artifact 1608 (Fire and Wax)
Unique gelatin silver print
20 x 16 inches

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Just over a year ago in anticipation of spring I wanted to grow something. I remembered having grown lima beans on the corner of my desk in 1st grade. The teacher had us simply place the bean in a folded paper towel and soak it with water. We had to remember to water it each day as we peaked at its growth. It was an exciting experience then and remains fascinating today. Below you see the image I made after leaving the bean and paper towel in a resealable bag for one year. Below that is a video of the stills I made initially. I scanned the bean for over a month and the images didn’t seem that interesting. I forgot about the bean and it just sat on a windowsill day after day untended, un-watered even, for several months. When I came upon it again I decided to scan it as a negative. The resulting image much more about energy and entropy than my initial intentions. In a way this is the longest exposure I’ve ever made, a whole year!

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I’ve been exposing black and white paper to direct flame from the candle this week (areas that are amber colored indicated the touch of the flame)

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More here from my recent experiments with candle wax and its use in manipulating gelatin silver paper. In the last image you can see where the flame touched the paper leaving a reddish/amber burn mark…I’ve been going for that more in the last week once they’re scanned I’ll post them!

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I just wanted to share some results of a new project yet to be named. These are 8×10 inch unique silver prints created with the light and wax of a candle. The wax acts as both a resist to the chemistry as well as to the initial exposure by flame…. More soon!

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I spent the week before the new year back in the darkroom, not to print old work but to make something new and curious. I’m hoping to make more unique works, one-of-a-kind pieces free of editioning, retouching and all the tedious bits of the photographic process. I’ve also been using my hands and fingerprints to create work. I’ll share a few more starfields soon that also have traces of my physical interventions with the images. Happy new year, may it be wonderful and prosperous for us all     -Caleb

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