This is my opportunity to extend a grateful thank you to Bay Photo Lab, without whose
support, a new chapter in my artistic career wouldn't be possible.
Creative impulse becomes art only within the context of an
integrated community. This includes artists, their subjects and assistants,
equipment producers and providers, and those who transform raw material into
fresh mediums--Bay Photo is doing just that for the Catherine Hall Studios'
world premier of eight, large-scale metal prints.
I will feature these luminescent images at this year's
Burning Man, which takes place this September. Metal printing is an innovative
technology in which coated-aluminum sheets are infused with dye, resulting in a
color-saturated image with a tasteful metallic sheen.
Bay Photo is a metal-print industry leader, and I am humbled
and thankful by their commitment to the photo-arts community.
From the ceremonial burning of a forty-foot tall statue to an exact-replica Spanish galleon ship that glides across the desert sand on wheels, Burning Man is the ultimate cultural experience. And after attending three previous Burning Man gatherings and erecting small photography exhibitions, I'm thrilled to finally contribute my own voice to the eclectic, dissonant chorus of artists attending the event.
I'm caked in fine, white desert dust and rivers of sweat travel
down my sunburned, bikini-clad back. The temperature exceeds 100 degrees; the
sun is stark against the cerulean sky and its light bounces off the desert
floor, blinding my eyes. "How did I get here?" I wonder. "What has brought me, and all of these
people, to this exact moment?"
Every September, nearly 50,000 people from all over the
world make the pilgrimage to the remote Nevada Black Rock desert to participate
in Burning Man, a weeklong arts and
culture festival. A unique social experiment in intentional community-building
and en masse collective-camping, Burning Man attracts
metallurgists, curiosity seekers from America's heartland, fire artists,
corporate lawyers eager to shed their suits, belly dancers, and Silicon Valley
execs--in short, anybody willing to approach the distinctive experience with an
open heart and mind.
A gritty, money-free event, Burning Man's celebratory
atmosphere, stark landscape, and eclectic attendees are a photographer's field
day. While there last year, I snapped
thousands of pictures to document the wildness and beauty of a white-sand
desert landscape teeming with art, culture, and freedom of expression.
If you haven't yet secured tickets to Burning Man, perhaps the opportunity to check out my metal-print photography installation at "Electric Ladyland" theme camp will give you incentive to join me at America's most influential, alternative arts festival. I will debut large-scale, metal-print images culled from my 2009 Burning Man Album, which Wedding and Portrait Photographers International recently honored with a second-place award in its Album Category.
Metal art is a focal point at Burning Man, and I am proud that this year Catherine Hall Studios' innovative metal prints will contribute to aesthetic conversation among the thousands of world-class art installations that comprise the festival. Bay Photo Lab, California's premier metal-prints specialist, is sponsoring the production of the installation. Metal-printing is an innovative process in which coated metal sheets are infused with dye, creating a durable (and desert-resistant!) product.
I still haven't made the final decision about which photographs to transfer to metal: Can you help? Below are three options. Pick your favorite and post a comment letting me know which image should be chosen!
Is it Mad-Hatters, No-Judgment, or Desert-Cowboy? Your top pick will be featured at Burning Man! I can't wait to hear from you.
As I wandered through Amish Mennonite farmland I was overwhelmed by the scent of fresh New England soil and discernible brush of long grass against my legs. I felt the sensation of traveling back in time.
John Deere hired me to create a lifestyle photo shoot, capturing the use of their iconic brand in everyday life. I was unfulfilled with our current material and felt a pull to capture more of the essence of the true John Deere lifestyle. I set out with my associate photographer to explore.
We came across an old man who welcomed us back to his generations-old farm and antiquated home. I spent the afternoon documenting his extended Mennonite family with the equipment that is so deeply integrated into their daily lives. There was a sense of closeness formed by strong familial bonds and the lack of modern distractions. I was impressed by the Mennonites ability to survive ascetically, living contently off of their land. I am so grateful to the family for allowing me a glimpse into their distinct lifestyle.
At the end, I offered to do a photograph just for them, anywhere they liked. I expected for them to gravitate in front of their unique home or in front of the striking sun streaked hills. Instead the family gathered around the background they were most proud of - their John Deere 7820 Tractor.
* All Images created for Catherine Hall Studios by Catherine Hall and Curt Littlecott *
Before I went to Appalachia, I knew it was a land ravaged by the coal mining industry and rife with poverty. When I got there, I was struck by how this area of the United States seemed like an entirely different country. The people told me their stories of struggle and hardship, and how they survive in such an unwelcoming environment. According to the above Appalachian woman, the way to make a living is "To sell things you can't buy at WalMart."
A few years ago I received a Julia Dean scholarship that launched my adventures in Appalachia. Once there, I rented a Subaru and drove around, documenting everyday life. The images I captured show the lives of people who, quite honestly, seemed to be victims of natural resource industry. I could see how logging and mining stripped the land, how floods consumed towns, and how people eke out a living in this mountainous setting. Poverty is everywhere. Decaying equipment and cars are scattered about, left to rot with the people the industries have forgotten.
What I found fascinating were the huge economic shifts that occurred because of coal mining and logging. Appalachia was once a place for millionaires. In fact, the little town of Bramwell, West Virginia, once had the most millionaires per capita. People lived in mansions and enjoyed a life of luxury. Fast forward 100 years, and most coal mining companies are gone. People live in overcrowded houses. Children play in cars that haven't run for years. But most surprising of all is that this landscape is only a few hours' drive from several of our country's major metropolitan areas.
I'm so thankful for the people of Appalachia who let me into their lives. Without their trust and support, I wouldn't have been able to showcase such an unseen glimpse of American life.
What is Burning Man?
Located in the vast and trackless Black Rock Desert, Burning Man is a yearly gathering of over 50,000 people that temporarily makes up one of the most densely populated cities in the entire country. Over the period of one week, the desolate ground transforms to a place filled with creative expression, vibrant energy, delusion, delirium, and freedom from cultural norms. Burning Man "pilgrims" flock from around the globe to take part in an event where the rules of society are blown away like the sandstorms that swirl through the desert.
Conor, Age One-and-a-Half 
As an artist, inspiration is one of the most important elements of my work. My camera has given me the ability to explore the world and I look forward to sharing my discoveries. ln my monthly newsletter, Image Stories, I will take a moment to share some of my favorite images and the stories behind them.
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At 81 years old, one of my favorite people from Tasmania, Theodore Castle, has passed away. Ted was an amazing man, full of life and humor. Just to give you an idea of his personality, three weeks before he passed a nurse came into his room with decorative feathers in her hair. "How do you think I look?" she asked Ted. He replied, "Gosh, you want to be careful, they might take you for a rooster and chop your head off."To find out more about Ted and his life, please refer to
Ted story.pdf.
Tonight my work was included in an exhibit for Tourism Tasmania at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. Above is a photograph of me and one of my favorite friends from the Adventure, Angela Drury. Established in 1993 in downtown San Francisco, the gallery showcases a unique blend of local and international artists, world class DJ's, live performance, and film screenings in an elegantly urban and ever-changing 4,000 square foot space. The gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Friday 12-5 pm and nightly on a rotating schedule for special events.