Kimberly Schneider

Artist Statement

I began to make photograms, due to the fact that my current darkroom was not finished prior to the (Covid) shutdown. This is my first foray into cameraless work, but one that I delved deep into, beginning in June of this year and continuing on throughout the summer; despite my darkroom now being set up for traditional silver printing, my experimental work is still ongoing.

Making these images was not only my way of coping with long-term isolation, but is also the first work I was able to make in my current darkroom, after losing my prior darkroom over 3 years ago. 

All of these images were made sans enlarger, utilizing a variety of alternate light sources and materials. This began as a motion study of light, and expanded to eventually include a motion study of certain materials as well. Exposures were made primarily with dripping candles, sparklers, and a firework LED light (multiple exposures were not uncommon).

Printing by hand has always been an essential part of my process (and I'm not exactly sure where my mind went while making some of these images), so I am elated that I not only found a way to make work that met my (tough) standards during these strange times, but that the work continues to inspire me, and will evenutally be broken up into a full-blown series; it has also been quite healing on a spiriutal level.  

All of my images are essentially self-portraits, or "natural equivalents." Whatever is going on in my life has always managed to find its way into my work during my printing process, and that is no different when it comes to making cameraless work. In fact, I'm not exactly sure where it came from, but making this ongoing experimental work, not only got me through months of isolation, but truly helped me grow as an artist - and in ways I had never even imagined. As tough as the isolation was - and continues to be, as we enter the second wave of the pandemic, going through it and tapping into this experimental relam has changed me as an artist. And that is something I am grateful for.