Karl Horodowich BFA

www.photographyk.com

Karl Horodowich Bio&Statement

       In this age of digital imaging that has become such a dominating presence, my approach toward photography will always first be in its traditional form.   Although I am easily seduced by and acquire the capabilities of photographing digitally, the process of manipulating real light in a darkroom, as well as developing film by hand, is what was taught to me long before I new I would become a photographer.  Growing up in Wisconsin my father enjoyed photography as a hobby.  I was always drawn to the camera for its appearance and mechanical being.  I was not aware at a young age the properties involved with it.  I began photography during high school in Pennsylvania.  I then attended Montserrat College of Art in Massachusetts receiving a B.F.A. in photography 1996.  My involvement in photography has brought me into the medical field where I have done diagnostic testing through photography. 

       I have enjoyed shooting many different formats and have been fond of using Polaroid Land cameras.  Its 3 ¼ x 4 ¼ image, the levels of tonality, and most of all, the one of a kind print that makes it a great camera. It’s this one of a kind image that excites me about traditional photography.  Like the negative itself, it is the truest form of the photograph.  Using this type of camera also tends to have a level of unpredictability. I have owned several models of this type of camera that have varied in many physical conditions. Depending on the condition of the camera through its mechanical function, I have had unexpected results that have been aesthetically pleasing in the final Image. 

         The Pola-Sketch is a process I have personally named, although it is a process many artists have used to create images.   By using certain tools, I am able to manipulate the chemicals inside the Polaroid to an extent.  There is limited space to work, and once a movement or gesture is made, it is final.  The end result can change dramatically through the oxidation of the chemicals, giving gestures more form and depth.  Like the Land Camera, there is that level of unpredictability in the final image through the oxidation.   I enjoy doing Pola-Sketches because I see them as a sort of exercise in movement and gesture. Like sketching in a sketchbook, the most minimal line and movement can be very significant, even if it is just a working idea towards something larger.