Sam Fee: Photography, Archaeology & Technology

My work is designed to challenge two common misperceptions: the first is that the desert is a lifeless and bleak landscape, and the second is that a landscape is still and without narrative.  On the contrary, the desert is full of life, but that life takes different — and I would argue, more dazzling — forms from what many viewers might expect. And the sudden emergence of those forms provides the action in the narrative that I believe landscape photography can best display.

But some of landscape photography’s most compelling stories (from my view) fall outside of the traditional purview of that style of work. So, while landscape photography typically foregoes the reflection of the human presence, I actively break that rule as I try to capture the transient nature of Man’s presence on the world. We all know that the world is beautiful; my work is intended to help us reflect on our impact upon the land.

And, while landscape photography frequently employs the unique light, colors, and visual interest generated by the events of sunrise and sunset, I have typically built imagery that employs the full power of the sun: one of the most salient elements of the desert narrative.

Ultimately, this work is the result of a postmodern approach to aesthetics that underscores the strength of the narrative in light of the subjective beauty of nature. When you view this imagery, I hope you’ll find the contrasts, beauty, and interest in what may be viewed by some as a stark or repetitive landscape.

But I also seek to emulate through a medium of my own, the exquisite works of some of my favorite painters including Georgia O’Keefe and Arthur Dove.

The photographs assembled here tell the story of a certain landscape and its constant and irrevocable change through time. The narratives of texture, light, and shadow combine to reflect the movement of the space in a way that allows us to understand it without seeing it in motion. This show completed production in February 2011.

View the Artist Statement, download the Project Description, or see the full series at a larger size.

The photographs assembled here tell the story of landscape’s eternal value as well as its constant and irrevocable change through time. Some images illustrate a temporary mark inscribed onto the timeless landscape. This temporariness is invariably of human origin. This show finished production in August 2011.

View the Artist’s Statement, download the Project Description, or see the full series at a larger size.

This is a combination show of traditional photography and digital compositions as well as an electronic installation of tablet computers. There are a number of traditional landscape photographs, along with a final modified abstract composition for each photo. These compositions are reminiscent of the paintings of the American modernists. The tablet computers show each these works in various stages of development from original photograph to abstract composition. This show is currently under development.

Each image is presented in two forms: the objective photograph, and the final abstract work. These can be placed side-by-side. The tablets show not only the original photo and its final abstract form, but also enable viewers to see each image throughout various stages of development. This element makes the show more interactive, as viewers will actually see the development of the image throughout the entire creative process. For some images, this is a simple procedure; for others it is much more complex. By being able to see each step of the process, viewers can more easily understand the relationships of highlights and shadows as well as hue and saturation. They can more easily recognize the role of contrast in developing abstract imagery from traditional photography. This means that the audience is not only viewing and interpreting the art – they are also considering its development. The result is a show that is intellectual as much as artistic.

This show is currently under development.

This is a collection of imagery under development for a proposed exhibition at the Kolb Studio at the Grand Canyon. It traces the route of the canyon through landscape and artifacts and explores both the land itself and the people who have lived there throughout time.

Beginning in the Colorado River Valley and heading through Lee’s Ferry, the course of the work follows the Vermillion Cliffs and the Navajo Gorge until it enters what we all recognize as the perspectives granted by the North and South Rims. The content of this show also focuses upon the Colorado River itself, as well as some lesser-known views that present themselves from the much more remote Arizona Strip.

This show is currently under development.

This is a collection of photography focusing upon the lifrstyles of the ancient puebloans in the southwest US and the environment. Their work in rock art is reflected here through imagery of pictographs, petroglyphs, and even the rock of their architectural constructions.

We consider rock the be enduring and elemental. Consider our idioms: hard as a rock, rock solid, etc. Now take a look at these images. What part of these past people and cultures persist? This collection provides an opportunity to reflect on past lifestyles and their impact on the environment, as we reflect upon our own…

Juried Exhibitions and Group Shows:

Gallery West 14th Annual National Juried Show, Arlington VA.
Kentucky National Exhibition 2011, Murray KY.
The Green Show, Nashville TN.
SDAI 2011, 51st International Exhibition, San Diego CA.
Now Wow Project, Sylvania OH.
14th National Juried Contemporary Exhibition, Grand Junction CO.
The Clymer Museum Art Auction, Exhibit, and Gala, Ellensburg WA.
Art of Our Century, UVU Woodbury Art Museum, Orem UT.
The Everyman Professional, 2011
Art and the X, Cincinnati OH.
64 Arts National Exhibition, Chicago IL.
Dog Days of Summer, Phoenix AZ.
Blanche Ames National Art Exhibition, North Easton, MA.
Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts Mid-Atlantic, New Castle, PA.
National Art Premiere 2012, Elmhurst IL.
Wide Open 3, Brooklyn NY.

Solo Shows:

Desert Textures, Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, May/June 2012

Dr. Fee also hold photo credits in various magazines and books, as well as numerous Internet publications.