Artist of the Week: Christopher Schreck

It's not too often that I feature a photographer in this section, but there is something so riveting and beautiful about the images of Christopher Schreck. He is experimenting with light and filters in order to capture life in a whole new way. This Chicago photographer is just beginning to make a name for himself but is already make his way around the local music scene, and starting to see big write-ups around the internet.

Recently, Christopher was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): What process or equipment do you use to create your photographs?
Christopher Schreck (CS): I have a fairly modest set-up, but I’ve found that the challenge of working within technical limitations can be fairly constructive and useful. Much of my work right now involves elements of color and light that are created rather than captured, and a lot of my time is spent trying out different techniques and seeing what happens. Personally, it’s often more interesting and enjoyable for me to try to achieve these effects manually rather than in post, so I experiment with things like filters, lights, and other materials and techniques. There’s a lot of trial and error involved, but doing it this way allows for interesting accidents and unexpected results, which is what I like most about the process. At the same time, I have no qualms with altering the images in Photoshop, exaggerating or curbing some effect I’ve achieved or whatever else. In my experience, this part of the process offers just as much spontaneity and produces equally surprising outcomes.

OA: What types of images do you feel work best with that type of technique?
CS: I think the thread of continuity tying this current body of work together has been less the subject matter and more my interest in the ways that light, color, and atmosphere can themselves become central to the effect and meaning of an image. The subjects are crucial to the image, obviously, but my process for finding them has much more to do with randomness and spontaneity than with me searching for something particular. Aside from that, I will say that I embrace a certain level of ambiguity and prefer to take photographs that set aside context and don’t make plain the particular circumstances of their being taken. I also make an effort to think of each photo I work on as something singular, to be taken on its own terms rather than in reference to other photos or as part of a group. I treat each of them as singles rather than album cuts, if that makes sense.

Having said all of this, I think that in looking at what I’ve done up to this point, it’s pretty obvious that my eye gravitates towards certain things more than others: wild-looking plants, strange rock formations, splashing liquids, strange details in urban environments, drug use. My friend Jennilee says I have a thing for images of girls with flowing hair, and I guess that’s hard to argue with.

OA: I enjoy your tumblr page because you seem to enjoy promoting the work of others. Is that why you created Banana Leaves?
CS: I think there’s a lot to like about tumblr. It’s a fine way to meet like-minded people, to gain access to a constant flow inspiring images and ideas, and even to promote yourself. Those are great benefits, and all of that definitely enters into it for me, but in the end, I use my account mainly as a means of disseminating the work of other people who are doing things that blow my mind. I already have three or four other sites dedicated solely to self-promotion, so it’s nice to use tumblr for collecting the things I’m psyched about and, rather than just putting them in some desktop folder that would be a drag to sort through anyway, organizing and posting them where other people can perhaps be inspired as I’ve been, and those great artists can receive that much more exposure. Tumblr is a means of giving for what you get, basically.

OA: You are close to several Chicago musicians, (Icy Demons, Magical, Beautiful, and so on), do you see yourself working more musicians in the future? How would you photograph a concert?
CS: I hope so, because I think that being given the opportunity to align your work with music you love is one of the biggest honors an artist can receive. Growing up, I always took album artwork seriously, and in spending hours studying all of those covers, was aware that they had a definite effect on how I listened. For better or worse, it was and is a crucial part of my experience of music. It’s something electric to me when image and music are perfectly matched, because when that happens, both elements are enhanced and the result is something singular and complete. To be able to make artwork for records is something I’ve wanted since I was very young, so it’s been gratifying for me to be able to make album covers, posters, and as of very recently, music videos for bands I’m into.

Doing covers, posters, and videos also appeals to me as an artist, because I think of them as means of achieving greater accessibility. These projects offer the potential exposure of my work to a much larger and broader audience than the people who might visit an exhibition of mine in a gallery, for instance. Which is not to say that gallery exhibitions aren’t rewarding or useful – the two just serve different functions and offer different opportunities. I think these formats (and zines, for that matter) also benefit the audience in an important way, because unlike anything they are likely to come across in an exhibition, these are affordable works of art that can be lived with and enjoyed for extended periods of time. I think of it as a democratic and personal experience of art that viewers are rarely afforded in other circumstances, and there’s nothing negligible about it.

OA: You made a series of videos several months ago that were basically a series of moving colors. How were those created?
CS: The video process is difficult to explain, but it typically involves things like collages, refractive surfaces, plants with strange leaves, projectors, dyed liquids, and colored lights.

That series of videos was basically the documentation of experiments I was doing as I began initial work on an extended video piece, which is something I’m working on a bit more earnestly now. The work is untitled and is in all ways still taking shape. I have a few full scenes near completion, though, and I’m excited about how it’s looking so far. I can’t speak too much as to what the work will be about or anything, but certainly I can say that in working on it, I can relate to Michael Snow: “An ecstasy of analysis is an odd state and an analysis of ecstasy seems like a waste of a good time.”

OA: What's next for Christopher Schreck?
CS: Self-publishing, Icy Demons “Relaxnation”, night swimming, making a film, avocado sandwiches, new website, touring, smoke bombs at random, and filling my new apartment with plants.

Bonus Questions:
OA: If you could sit down to coffee with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be?
CS: I can’t imagine anyone walking away from a conversation with Brion Gysin and complaining of being bored.

OA: What type of music do you listen to and who are a few of your favorites?
CS: I’ve been listening to Paul Simon’s “Graceland” and “Rhythm of the Saints” on an endless loop for what seems like years. Also, my band Icy Demons is finishing up a new record, so I’ve been hearing those songs pretty constantly.

Everybody loves Chandeliers, Magical Beautiful, Herculaneum, Michael Columbia, Killer Whales, Nick Broste, and Axis:Sova.

For more information on Christopher Schreck please visit his website.

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