Since I returned to making art in 2016, I have been exploring various ways in which language and photographic images can interact. I have always tended towards art that is more idea based than visual. I can trace my current work back to my student days in the 1970's when I attended the Boston Museum School, and later CalArts. Then, such work was often called Conceptual Art. I also feel a certain connection to the "pictures generation" of the 1980's when photographic images were being reconsidered in an art context.
I have developed a method of photographing very small objects and enlarging them, while maintaining a high degree of sharpness. I feel this allows me to create pictures with high visual impact. There seems to be an endless supply of interesting objects suitable for exploration including toys, objects of popular culture, and model railroad figures. By adding a language component I add additional complexity to the experience. My work explores sardonic humor, paradox, and contradiction. I try to challenge the viewer to unravel the short mysteries of each piece.
I have developed a method of photographing very small objects and enlarging them, while maintaining a high degree of sharpness. I feel this allows me to create pictures with high visual impact. There seems to be an endless supply of interesting objects suitable for exploration including toys, objects of popular culture, and model railroad figures. By adding a language component I add additional complexity to the experience. My work explores sardonic humor, paradox, and contradiction. I try to challenge the viewer to unravel the short mysteries of each piece.
© 2016 - 2020 Steven Chayt