8”x10” silver gelatin print mounted on 11”x14” gilded edge matt board, 2023, by James Gehrt
It was a roll of 100 simple round photographs, documenting the important subjects of life, that could be preserved for future generations. Eastman's promise of, "You push the button and we do the rest", eventually allowed everyone to share the world from their own perspective. I love the clean simple circular compositions of these early snapshots. Round photographs, encompassing pets, sailboats, and excursions of all types from the late 1800s, have inspired my vision for a modern-day revisit of the simple circular image.
Kodak #1, Circa 1888, 4 1/4” x 5 1/4”, creators unknown
This small wooden box began the democratization of photography. It allowed everyone to capture their unique identity, sharing their lives with the people around them. This leads us to the ubiquity of photography today. We can now reach into our pocket, take out a camera, and share an image of our lives around the world in seconds.
Since I was a little kid, I always enjoyed collecting, especially cards. Sports cards, movie cards, stickers; I had thousands of cards. Collecting these scenes from the late 1800s has given me that same feeling of discovery. I select images for my collection that seem like a composition that I would have taken. I have always identified my photography with collecting as well. I consider the work a collection of observations from my life. Now, I am creating large versions of my own images in a similar, but bigger format. 8x10 silver gelatin prints, with their corners rounded, are mounted onto 11x 14 board. The edges are gilded to match the original Kodaks. The backs are printed with the same floral pattern and hand inscriptions are written describing when or where the photo was taken. Many of the Kodaks have inscriptions siting details about the photograph.
Kodak #2, Circa 1889, 4 1/4” x 5 1/4”, creators unknown
After 30 years of creating images and studying the history of photography, I began to be drawn to the seminal moments in photography's evolution. As an artist and educator, the importance of these round photos is not lost. In the classroom, I share these images and compare them to photography of earlier decades. As a photographer, I have tried to recapture the quiet unobtrusive round images from the 1890s with technology from the modern day. It started with a 17mm 1960's Wollensack cinematic lens for an 8mm movie film camera custom mounted on a full-frame digital camera. The resulting image was a circular image from the smaller format lens. I have collected these historic round photographs over the years. Now, I am able to create modern comparisons by contrasting and juxtaposing the original Kodak images with my own images. The result is a circle that spans 133 years of visual communication and expression.
Upcoming exhibitions: More information as it becomes available.
December 2023, Burnett Gallery, Jones Library, Amherst, Massachusetts
March - April 2024, Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery, STCC, Springfield, Massachusetts