Artists Statements is a photographic installation of five large (three feet by six feet) black and white portraits of local Kingston artists and their work by award-winning photographer Chris Miner.

Each piece is a pair of photographs: a portrait of an artist and a representation of their artwork. The results present multiple ways of knowing the artists. Portrait photographs are often believed to reveal something of the character of a person, and studying someone’s art reveals some of their obsessions, ideas and aspirations. When artist and art are presented simultaneously, harmonies and tensions between the maker and the made can be considered. These pairings juxtapose the appearance of each artist with how their imagination is manifest in their work. Or, put another way, the pictures juxtapose the artist’s physical form with what his or her imagination produces.

The photographs were taken with a traditional 8″x10″ view camera, including the iconic dark cloth covering the photographer. This ritual (using 19th-century methods of portraiture) clarifies ideas, encourages intentional use of body language and permits intimacy between photographer and artist. Large negatives provide exceptional tonality and detail; this contributes to engagement between viewer and viewed.

The five works represent five exceptional local artists and four artistic media: sculpture, music, painting, and literature. The artists are Don Maynard, Jane Derby, Teilhard Frost, Su Sheedy, and Helen Humphreys. One of the photos was recently awarded a prize at the Kingston Arts Council Juried Art Salon.