I received some good news about a month ago when I was informed that my piece was accepted into the 2026 Fine Arts Exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair! I got to work cutting a mat and making a frame:
Cutting a rabbet in a piece of poplar.
Mitered and dry fit.
The work I submitted was brand new work from me. I've been experimenting with "cameraless photos" or "photograms" for the last 15 months or so, and I hadn't shown any of the work to anyone, except for a few students. So it was a vulnerable step to submit it to the competition, especially knowing that only about 10% of photography work gets accepted. It's WILD that my piece was picked!
A photogram is made by shining light through a semi-transparent object with photosensitive paper underneath it. That will give you an image like a negative - where the light doesn't get through stays white, and where more light gets through it starts turning black. It takes trial-and-error to figure out the proper exposure time to get a solid range of values.
The negative of some tiny maple seeds. [Click the image for a larger version.]
After the chemistry steps, washing, and drying, I then repeat the process. This time, I place the paper "negative" on top of another sheet of photo paper, do tests to get the proper exposure time figured out, and then shine light through that paper negative to make a proper "positive" print. And voilà: a photo created directly from the object without the use of a camera. The result is a life-size small print as there's no way to enlarge it.
The final print. [Click the image for a larger version.]
There any many more choices that go into making this work, but that's the gist of it. I don't know what I'm doing with this "series" yet. Right now, I'm still just playing. But in a world moving more and more towards embracing A.I., this physical work being created solely in a traditional wet darkroom feels like an intentional return to a slower, tactile practice. And honestly, that could have been part of the draw for the juror of this exhibition - it might sound funny, but there could be a "rebellious" undertone to this cute little idea.
Getting ready to deliever my piece to the fair a few weeks ago.
On display in the Fine Arts Building! [Click the image for a larger version.]
My piece on the wall near the front of the Fine Arts Building, just moments after
the building opened on opening day. [Click the image for a larger version.]
The Fine Arts Building has been BUSY, and I've had friends say they haven't made it in because it's been so crowded. I was there a week ago when the building first opened so I could see more of the work and snap that image above before it became too busy.
I'll have more photos from the exhibition shortly! In the meantime, you have a few more days to stop by the State Fair and check it out!
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