visionaries: keith carter

In Keith Carter's book, Fireflies, a compilation of his portraiture of children, Carter describes his work as a “world of truths and half truths where the inhabitants might be amiss or fallen from grace; they inhabit a peaceful kingdom where everything that falls deserves a chance to be restored."

Chicago Art Magazine recently reviewed Keith Carter's new show at Catherine Edelman, Seen and Unseen:

Discourse between the small, intimate, and whimsical, and the introspective and macabre make for a compelling cerebral trip to a different place and time. A place where nothing is as it seems, somber children engage the onlooker with pensive stares, and a highly symbolic narrative slowly unravels only with further study.

Heavily influenced by Paul Strand, Carter’s work is about the celebration of life’s imperfections. Other influences come from his own childhood growing up in Louisiana and Texas. At first glance, the work seems traditional and contemplative in nature, the imagery is quiet, like a low hum; naturally lit and toned, the photos blur the edges between fantasy and reality. Aptly playing with scale and selective focus compositionally, Carter is a gentle guide as he leads us into this world he created for the viewer to revel in.

Following is the introduction from Keith Carter's Artist Talk video for the exhibition (the gallery's complete Artist Talk series can be found here):





Keith Carter's Seen and Unseen is on view at Catherine Edelman through May 1. Regrettably, I won't see the show in person, but one of my great pals is going in my stead next week. (Seen and unseen, indeed.)






:images keith carter, seen and unseen; catherine edelman gallery; exhibition catalog