Some praise for "Symbiosis"

Here are a few of the responses from people who've ordered their copy of my handmade book, Symbiosis. I've removed names to protect the innocent. I hope that nobody minds!

"Truly intimate and quite delicate feeling too, it really conveys your intentions! I love the glyph on the front , quite beautiful.
I'll stop though, in fear of sounding too sycophantic, however I will treasure it always!"

"Hey, just want to say the book is awesome. I love the wax seal and the cover binding."

"The images and book are so beautiful! I am so glad to have a piece of your art.
I'm taking it to Japan with me to show all my artist friends:)"

"Thank you Mr Rik Garrett for the copy of your handmade book. It's too beautiful to be in this building site I call a home, the quality of the paper is amazing and quite frankly, I'm too scared to touch it with my grubby builder's hands."

"It's beautiful, Rik! Thank you very much(...) I hope you're getting a lot of great feedback, it is deserved."




visit the Symbiosis page to find out more

Symbiosis video

Discussing the Symbiosis books - their construction, the meaning of the symbolism involved and the genesis of the series of images.

books, projects, life..

Nearly a year ago I thought I would pick this up as a way to document all of the things that I'm working on.  Apparently I'm not very good at this.  Besides being busy, I also don't seem to like showing things before they are finished.

In March I finished a handmade book, Vitriol.  It's something of a minor work in my long-running Alchemical book cycle.  Here is a video where I discuss it a bit:


A month ago today, I got engaged.  It's true.  Jane and I are going to get married next summer.

After working on my Symbiosis series for nearly a year and a half, I finally put some of images online.  I've spent the past month or two preparing a series of handmade Symbiosis books which contain 14 images.  The pages themselves I've printed on Hahnemuhle smooth rag 308 gm paper - archival, no optical brighteners.  It's a nice, thick paper that closely resembles the watercolor paper that I like to use for some of my handmade book projects.  The book contains a wonderful introduction written by Danielle Ezzo (http://www.danielleezzo.com/), which typographical assistance by Howard Forbes (http://www.misanthrope.com/).  The pages are bound with a soft pink cover, and the whole series is limited to only 24 copies.  The books will be released on the summer solstice (this Tuesday).  I've been offering an advance order until then.  On Tuesday I will release more information, and then the price rises just a bit.  For more information, visit:  http://www.rikgarrett.com/symbiosis.php

Last week I finally put some more images from my Earth Magic series online.  Here is one of them:

The rest are on my website:  http://www.rikgarrett.com

A couple of weeks ago, I found this camera from around 1915 at an antique store:

It's undergoing minor surgery to prepare for the trek out to the woods.  Soon!

Also, there are always more regular updates here:  http://www.facebook.com/rikgarrettphotography

"Symbiosis" series premier, auction

Symbiosis (Figure 3)

Acrylic paint over analog c-print

Finally able to begin showing images from this series.  This original work is now available for auction via Daniel Cooney Fine Art.  It is part of a curated auction, "Shades of Grey," which has been curated by Danielle Ezzo.

http://rikgarrett.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Rik-Garrett-Photography/195893806921

busy as usual

I've been spending more time in the woods, taking photographs for the "Earth Magic" series.  Wet plate collodion is a kind of ridiculous process - you have to coat the glass plate with collodion, make it light sensitive, shoot the photograph and develop it all within around ten minutes.  So I've been lugging a bunch of gear into the wilderness and processing things in a cardboard box.  One nice thing about this is having deer surround you - at one point as many as eleven were keeping an eye on me.

I've used a lot of unconventional darkrooms before, but this is the first time that I've heard birds singing while developing images.

Long time internet friend Gea* visited last week, and we finally met in person after being in touch for at least 8 years.  She went into the woods to witness the deer herself.  I'm not sure, but she may have also taken a snapshot of me rolling around in a cardboard box on the ground, developing glass plates.

I'm still working on the "Symbiosis" series, and it's coming along very well.  A few rolls of film were shot last night.  I'm thinking that the series will be done before too long, though I know better than to assume too much.

the things that I've been working on

*After 9 months of tests and studies, I've finally finished the first wave of images in the Symbiosis series.  Acrylic over small color prints.

*More wet plate photographs in the woods for "Earth Magic."  I've been in a lot of darkrooms over the years, but it's an entirely different experience to develop images in a cardboard box while birds sing and deer are staring at you.

*Started a new handmade book.  Not a part of the gigantic alchemical book series.  More information soon.

Also, received my copies of the Ural Umbo lp "Fog Tapes."  It's a wonderful album, and the packaging with my photography turned out very nice.  You can order the record here:  http://www.hinterzimmer-records.com/

starting over (again)

After much work on the most recent incarnation of the Symbiosis series, I decided to start over.  Again.  I've lost track of how many incarnations there have been in the past 8 months.  There have been 11x14 photographs with oil pastels, 4x6 foot collages on unstretched canvas with oil paint, 11x14 photographs with oil paint and 16x20 photographs with acrylic paint.

On Wednesday I photographed artist Steven Johnson Leyba.  Wet plate portraits.  He was in town for an exhibition he was in.  We've been friends for around a decade and have worked on collaborations a few times in the past.  I'll post images as soon as I'm able to print them.


Later on Wednesday, I took more color photographs for the Symbiosis series (which, to be honest, I'm thinking I need to re-name).  On Friday I got into the color darkroom to make test prints, then did some quick painting with acrylics.  I'm very happy with how they're turning out so far.  A very different feel.

I'm thinking that I'm going to keep them small.  Intimate.

Tonight Jane and I are planning on seeing Wolvserpent and Locrian.  Last summer I photographed Locrian in anticipation of their upcoming release on Utech Records, "The Crystal World." 

Look at the Utech website to see Justin Bartlett's great cover artwork for "The Crystal World."

busy

I've been working on the "Symbiosis" series for around nine months now.  I believe that I've been through seven sets of tests/studies.  I was very excited about the most recent, but after putting them on the wall and looking at them objectively I've decided that I can do even better.  So I'm starting over - a few more rolls of film this week, another couple of rounds in the color darkroom and more time hunched over prints with a paintbrush.

In other news, my photographs grace the new record by Ural Umbo.  This is going to be a great release.

Information on Hammer Smashed Sound. 
http://hammersmashedsound.blogspot.com/2010/09/ural-umbo-fog-tapes-lp.html

I've also been working on some other design projects.  Planning some things.  Coming up with new ideas but trying not to get ahead of myself.

painting progress

Retouching color photographs the old fashioned way.

No, I'm not using an easel.  In fact, it's startling that I'm not doing this while laying on the ground.  Maybe I'm finally growing up.

The first few images in the Symbiosis series are coming along quite nicely.  I've also been attempting to design an album cover for an old friend's music project.

Autumn has begun to settle in here in Chicago.  It made me panic a bit, as I haven't been able to finish nearly as much of the Earth Magic series as I'd like, and since the wet plate process favors natural sunlight it seems that I should get to work immediately before the city is covered in snow.  I started to worry the other day, but it is supposedly my "witch" series.  Jane reminded me that Autumn is most definitely the "season of the witch."  Still, I'd better to to work right away.

prints

Every once in a while I'm reminded how much computers destroy artwork.

I toned some prints from the "Earth Magic" series.  I always do this, as it makes them more archivally stable and enhances the blacks.  Looking back over the prints I was reminded how much is lost when artwork (even photographs) are viewed on a computer monitor. 

Sunday I was going to take more photographs for this series, but scheduling didn't work out.  I stayed at home and painted some things for the "Symbiosis" series.  Last night involved more painting.  There are currently three pieces I'm working on simultaneously.  I'm being secretive with these, but I'll post some images when I feel like the time is right.

An interesting thing happens when working on two projects at once.  When I make a lot of progress on one series, instead of being content I kick myself for not getting more done on the other.  It's a good thing though, keeping me motivated.

tapes, painting, etc.

Three days ago I started painting on the final "Symbiosis" prints.  I've made a good amount of progress on two of them so far.  I don't know why, but I started using an egg carton as a palette.

It was so hot out that my paints were drying up almost immediately.  A bit of a struggle.  The second time this week that I've had to adjust things due to the heat.

Playing with cassette recorders.  Two tapes + a pedal or two, turning a bass guitar into a murky rumbling drone.  Was it what I wanted?  I haven't decided yet.

Also:  my new custom box for sensitizing wet plates.  Bad photo.  But it's opaque black acrylic.

productive times

I've been able to get a lot done over the past few days.

On Friday I had the opportunity to go through a deceased man's photo estate.  Then I acquired a power supply for my second 4-track cassette recorder (which I got for free from a yard sale in the neighborhood).  I played around with listening to some of my older recordings simultaneously while making dinner.  Talk of a new music project.  Kicking around some ideas.

On Saturday I was able to get into the color darkroom to print the full sized 16x20 photographs for the "Symbiosis" series.  I got impatient and worked on two different photographs simulatenously on two separate enlargers.  Here is one stage of my printing notes:

This got considerably more hectic shortly after this was taken.

I was able to get great prints of the first four images for this series.  I'm very excited to get started painting on them.

This morning Jane and I woke up and had some iced coffee, then I set things up to take wet plate photographs.  We took several photos with the "Earth Magic" series in mind (which I've been offhandedly calling my "witch" series).  The first couple of images were a bit foggy until I realized that I needed to modify my chemistry to fit the hot weather here.

Then Jane put on her new dress that she got last weekend.  She didn't even realize until later that it's covered in witches.  Synchronicity!

Well, maybe they're just ladies harvesting things.  But still - check out those pointy hats!

When using the wet plate collodion process, you get to use all kinds of fun chemicals.  One of them is silver nitrate, which makes your glass plate sensitive to light.  If you don't wear gloves, you get black fingers.  So I have black fingers.

Cel phone photo taken while thinking of a better photograph from the past.  I think it was Edward Weston holding hands with one of his lady partners.  The identities were blurry at first, until you realized that what first appeared to be nail polish was actually his (Weston's?) fingernails stained black from developing prints in amidol.  Does anyone know of this photograph?  I can't find it anywhere.  Anyhow, this is my and Jane's hands after taking photographs in the kitchen.

finally using this thing

I've decided to finally start using this journal.  I realized that I've been working on multiple projects at once, and maybe I should document the process.  I'm assuming that there are some people out there who would like to follow my progress, and I wouldn't mind documenting these things for myself. 

The two main projects that I've been working on lately are "Symbiosis" and "Earth Magic."  "Symbiosis" is a mixed media color series that I've been planning for over six months now.  I've made multiple series of tests/studies while making a three page-long list worth of influences and references.  Some of these studies are on my website (http://www.rikgarrett.com) or on my Facebook page.

The other series that I've been working on is "Earth Magic," which I'm photographing with the wet plate collodion process.  Examples of this series can also be seen on the two above links.

My girlfriend Jane has been fighting strep throat.  So last night we watched a movie that was so bad that it was vastly improved by watching it again at half speed.  I would highly recommend this approach to redeeming terrible cinema.  Then I painted on some of my proof sheets while she attacked some reading homework.  She would tell me about things she was reading (regarding the history of the library system) while I painted on tiny photographs.

Today when I got home from work, more painting.  I think that this might officially constitute the fifth series of studies for Symbiosis.

This weekend I hope to get into the color darkroom to print the full 16x20 images for this series, as well as take new photographs for "Earth Magic."