Schuyler Fishman
Photographer/Book Artist
Artist Statement
I
began working in the darkroom at the age of 13. After working in the photo-industry
as custom printer I became highly sensitive to photochemistry and was unable
to execute my own prints. In 1995, Digital photography gave me a new opportunity
to use the camera to make a fine art print. Although the process is similar,
the digital inkjet print has its own vocabulary.
I make images with a Nikon D200 and use and Epson 2400 to create archival
prints on high quality fine art paper. I do not manipulate my images in Photoshop
to get any surreal effects beyond working with dodging and burning to create
the maximum impact. I am looking for a painterly effect in my work, one that
creates a tangible feeling of light and texture. I create this
image in the camera, then using the computer and printer to bring my vision
to fruition.
I photograph as a form of walking meditation.
My images are designed to express a quality of awakeness, and heightened awareness.
I listen for the photographs. I may use my eyes, but what
I see is usually fleeting, an introduction to some other sense that tells
me how or what to communicate. Through my work, I would hope to follow in
the footsteps of my photographic influences, such as Diane Arbus, Francesca
Woodman, Mary Ellen Mark, and Meridel Rubenstien. However, I am led to express
similar sentiments with inanimate objects, and with objects from the natural
world, rather than photographing people.
My understanding of the environment is always informing my investigations,
leading me to ask questions with the camera. While my images are about a
sense of place, they are also a projection of that place through me. They
are emotional landscapes. As a meditation, I witness my thoughts and feeling
as expressed through the lens.
I create small books and boxes as a way to give the viewer
an intimate experience of the subject I am documenting. As if unpacking someone's
bags after they have come home from a journey, the viewer can share my experience.
Viewing the books can transport you to these spaces and experience them as
sacred. I create books so that you can see yourself reflected in my stories.
It is my hope that it will inspire you to take many journeys of your own.
Contact Information
Schuyler Fishman, PO Box 1097, Crestone, CO 81131
719-480-1688
schuyler@mindlikesky.com
www.mindlikesky.com
