Photographs by Kari Orvik
Between serene and ridiculous is showing at Vessel SF through October 9th. Email nick@vesselsf.com to schedule an appointment - during the month of September (M-F, 9-5) or visit during club hours. Wednesdays there is no cover from 9:30-11pm.
This series is part of my experiments in a contemporary context with the 150-year old process of wet-plate collodion. The results fall somewhere in between the serene and the ridiculous, where people are photographed with various animal parts, ranging from caribou antlers to husky heads made out of foam. I place my subjects in different local settings, and develop the light-sensitive image plates in a make-shift darkroom I built to fit in the trunk of my car.
I started making these photographs after collecting discarded antlers from family members in Norway, and transporting them back with me. This led to photo collaborations with friends, where I experimented both with the animal parts that best fit the person and the unpredictable results of the chemicals used in the process. In addition to my more formal studio collodion portraits, using this antiquated method today allows me to explore the space in between cultivating control of the chemical process and experimenting with its unpredictable results.
My previous photography projects have focused on setting up public portrait studios, which offered the service of a formal portrait to participants impacted by community development issues. I will eventually be incorporating the collodion process into future public projects.
Between serene and ridiculous is showing at Vessel SF through October 9th. Email nick@vesselsf.com to schedule an appointment - during the month of September (M-F, 9-5) or visit during club hours. Wednesdays there is no cover from 9:30-11pm.
This series is part of my experiments in a contemporary context with the 150-year old process of wet-plate collodion. The results fall somewhere in between the serene and the ridiculous, where people are photographed with various animal parts, ranging from caribou antlers to husky heads made out of foam. I place my subjects in different local settings, and develop the light-sensitive image plates in a make-shift darkroom I built to fit in the trunk of my car.
I started making these photographs after collecting discarded antlers from family members in Norway, and transporting them back with me. This led to photo collaborations with friends, where I experimented both with the animal parts that best fit the person and the unpredictable results of the chemicals used in the process. In addition to my more formal studio collodion portraits, using this antiquated method today allows me to explore the space in between cultivating control of the chemical process and experimenting with its unpredictable results.
My previous photography projects have focused on setting up public portrait studios, which offered the service of a formal portrait to participants impacted by community development issues. I will eventually be incorporating the collodion process into future public projects.
