Photographs Do Not Bend presents: Keith Carter: A Certain Alchemy

by PegNews wire

This solo exhibition of Keith Carter's photographs will mark his fourth show at PDNB Gallery since 1997. Almost twelve years later Keith has continued to work magic with the alchemy of photography.

The element of light in a composition struck him early on as his muse. Carter has stated, "The raw materials of photography are time, light and memory." These basic elements act as a foundation to his transcendent imagery. And nature in all forms weighs heavy in his subject matter.

We are seduced by Keith's imagery, as in his still life, Blackberries. The photograph, Stairway, conveys a film noir story of intrigue. The mysterious photograph, Levitation, which is the cover of his book, is spiritual and baffling. His shallow depth of field presents a style that embraces the unknown, a consistent tone of Carter's work.

The recent release of his book, A Certain Alchemy, marks the tenth monograph of Carter's successful career.

Keith Carter remains a Texan, still living in Beaumont, which proves to be the birthplace of his inspiration. This exhibition will feature many works from the book, spanning the last ten years. The introduction by author Bill Wittliff illustrates Keith's artistic time line in eloquent words. Pat Carter, Keith's beloved wife, writes the afterward waxing poetic about Keith's studio as a metaphor, his sage quotes and his artistic spirit.

Keith Carter holds the endowed Walles Chair of Art at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Grant and the Lange-Taylor Prize. Carter's nine previous books include: Opera Nuda, Ezekiel's Horse, Holding Venus, Keith Carter Photographs: Twenty-Five Years, Bones, Heaven of Animals, Mojo, The Blue Man, and From Uncertain to Blue. A DVD documentary of his work titled The Photographer's Series: Keith Carter was produced by Anthropy Arts in 2006.

Keith Carter's photographs can be found in numerous private and public collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago; the Smithsonian American Art Museum; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the George Eastman House; the Dallas Museum of Art; the Amon Carter Museum and the Wittliff Collections' Southwestern & Mexican Photography Collection.

Source: Photographs Do Not Bend