Leit Downing
May 2007
Title of Show
Patina: Photographing the enduring glow of restless Guatamala.
Medium
Fuji Velvia 100F printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Supergloss
First Friday Reception
Friday, May 4, 5:30 - 8 PM
Artist Statement
In March of 2006, I had the opportunity to travel in Guatemala. While it seems that history and politics speak only of despair to define the country, the people there are quick to smile, and leave a vivid impression. Few places I’ve been have such a juxtaposition of tireless government turmoil and hardship with such flourishing local culture and arts. It’s such a rich and fascinating place that even after a month of living there, I felt I could only capture a very narrow understanding of their world.
Photography is a many handed tool which differs for each individual. The way we look through the viewfinder and see an image is influenced by many aspects of our personal history and passions. I find my influence to be strongest from my training in architecture. This lends itself to a unique blending of documentation and a concentration on the details and patterns that define the visual language of a place. Without intending to capture their world, the imaginative exploration of these smaller things so often overlooked and not often seen, can almost come alive when taken out of their context. When my work is viewed, my hope is that people will see more than just the physical content and that they are brought into the sensation and the atmosphere of the piece.
Biography:
I was the third generation of my family born in Juneau, my great-grandparents first generation immigrants from Italy, Yugoslavia, and Norway. I grew up on the snow, tidewaters, and dense forests that make Southeast both mystical and treacherous. After a few years soaked in Eugene at the University of Oregon, I transferred to Georgia and completed my studies receiving a Masters degree in Architecture from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2004. Returning home to Juneau, I spent two years working at a small architectural firm during which I made annual month long journeys to both France and Guatemala. In search of new Alaskan adventures, I moved to Anchorage in September and took a job with RIM Architects.
My first glimpses through a viewfinder were with my step-mother’s Nikon FE2, stolen from the shelf to document the faces and streets of Juneau. It was through pure happenstance that some months later, I inherited the position of photography editor from a friend my senior year in high school. In two hours he gave me the only formal education in the mechanics of photography I’ve ever received, and then left me to blindly stumble through several editions of the school newspaper. When it became obvious I wasn’t willing to give up my secret interludes with her camera, my step-mother finally gave it to me. To this day, I bring that same Nikon with me on every adventure, still stumbling perhaps, though, with a little more luck.
There is an incredible sense of anticipation when opening a roll of newly developed film, hoping that what was left to chance brings something unexpected and beautiful. Even after years of taking photos, there is always surprise, which is partly why I’ve maintained the use of my manual SLR. However, because of the evolution of photography, traditional Cibachrome prints from slides are harder to come by and increasingly more expensive. I have thus turned to specialty digital prints which are exposed from computer controlled LED’s. I use this process so that I can create the most lasting quality and color without the sacrifice of some traditions.
Additional Works
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