Chris McCaw

Sunburned GSP#628 (Pacific Ocean)

2012

Ezra Stoller (American, 1915-2004) is known as one of the most influential photographers of modern architecture. He created iconic photographs of mid-century buildings that help defi...

Sunburned GSP#871 (Great Salt Lake, Utah), 2015 Gelatin Silver Paper Negative Unique 12" x 20" (30.5 x 51 cm) Framed: 15 5/16" x 23 15/16" (39 x 59 cm) Chris McCaw builds his own large-format cameras and outfits them with powerful lenses typically used for military surveillance and aerial reconnaissance. Instead of film, McCaw inserts expired fiber-based gelatin silver photo paper directly into the camera. Pointing the lens at the sun, McCaw makes recordings ranging from thirty seconds to as long as 36 hours. The sun, intensified by the lens, scorches its path across the paper while creating a solarized image of the landscape or seascape below – a “direct positive” image made in-camera, without an intervening negative. These burned lines and holes are tangible traces of the act of making each photograph: marking time, recording location, mapping weather conditions and channeling light.

The work is available as Silver gelatin print, by the artist, made in the darkroom, from the original 35 mm black and white negative and in a total edition of 25. Available in 4 siz...

A black-and-white photograph in the Cities series by photographer Roberta Fineberg. The image of the East River of Lower Manhattan was shot at dusk from a small boat on the East Rive...