Caleb Charland

L.A. Bachman

As I explore the domestic space, from the basement to the backyard, I find ways to exploit the mysterious qualities of everyday objects and familiar materials. Each photograph begins with a simple question “How would this look? Is that possible? What would happen if...?” and develops through a sculptural process of experimentation. This work combines my scientific curiosity with a constructive approach to making pictures. I utilize everyday objects and fundamental forces to elaborate upon experiences of wonder. For me, wonder is a state of mind somewhere between knowledge and uncertainty. It is the basis of my practice and results in images that are simultaneously familiar and strange. The human presence provides a clue to the creation of the photograph while adding to the mysterious nature of the image. Photography serves my practice well as a means to experience this activity in a single moment, or to combine several different moments into a single experience.

(All images are created in-camera without digital manipulation)

BIO

Growing up in rural Maine, Charland spent much of his childhood helping his father remodel their family homes. These experiences instilled an awareness of the potential for the creative use of materials, and the ability to fabricate his visions. Charland earned a BFA in photography with departmental honors from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2004 and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as a Trustees Fellow in 2010. His work has been shown internationally and is in the Collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Progressive Collection, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

EDUCATION

2010    M.F.A Photography School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

           Trustees Fellowship

2009    Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME

2004    B.F.A. Photography with Departmental Honors Massachusetts College of Art

           Boston, MA

 

EXHIBITIONS

2013    Piece Work Portland Museum of Art Biennial 2013 Portland, ME

2013    Solo Show Center For Maine Contemporary Art Rockport, ME

2013    Solo Show Fathom and Fray Schneider Gallery Chicago, IL

2013    Solo Show Backscatter  Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA

2013    Eco-Logic: Artists’ Take on Environmental Changes Herron School of Art and Design  

           Indianapolis, IN

2012    FotoFocus Public Art Installation with Artworks Cincinnati, OH

2012    Group Show There is Something Happening Here Brancolini Grimaldi Gallery, London UK

2012    Group Show Into the Woods ClampArt, New York, NY

2012    Group Show Second Nature: Abstract Photography Then and Now

2012    deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln MA

2012    Two Person Show Artifacts and Particles Addison Wooley Gallery, Portland, MaineSolo Show 2011    Demonstrations Rita Castellote Gallery, Madrid, Spain

2011    Artist in Residence Imagine Science Film Festival, New York

2011    Solo Show Fathom and Fray Michael Mazzeo Gallery New York

2011    Group Show Experimental Station, CA2M, Madrid, Spain

2011    Group Show Unhooked From Time Gallery Project Ann Arbor, MI

2011    Solo Show Demonstrations Bullseye Gallery, Portland, OR

2011    Next Art Fair, Swimmingpool Projects, Chicago, IL

2010    Art Fair Swimming Pool Project Space Chicago, IL

2010    Group Show, Burning Desire Michael Mazzeo Gallery, New York, NY

2010    Solo Show Demonstrations Blue Sky Gallery Portland, OR

2010    Group Show, After Before Swimming Pool Project Space Chicago, IL

2009    Group Show, Capturing Motion Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, MI

2009    Solo Show, Demonstrations Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA

2009    Group Show, Transmutations: Abstraction in Nature Michael Mazzeo Gallery, New York, NY

2009    Group Show, Creative Sparks St. Vincent's Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

2009    Group Show, Art Fair! Michael Mazzeo Gallery New York, NY

2009    Armory Show, VSA Arts, New York, NY

2008    Northeast Exposure Online, Photographic Resource Center at Boston University, Boston MA

2008    Group Show How I Spent My Summer Vacation Michael Mazzeo Gallery, New York, NY

2007    Solo Show, Proof Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh,PA

2007    Solo Show, Demonstrations Susan Maasch Fine Art Portland, ME

2007    Group Show, Abilities Arts Festival Joseph D. Carrier Gallery Toronto, Ontario

2007    Group Show, Light Night 2007 Art and Cultural Festival Reykjanes, Iceland Group Show,

           Halpert Biennial 2007 Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Appalachian State University,

           Boone, NC

2007    Group Show, Rome Art Coterie 5th National Juried Exhibition Rome, GA

2007    Group Show, Destination Anywhere Miami University Art Museum Oxford, OH

2007    Group Show, Positive/Negative Twenty Two Slocumb Galleries

2007    East Tennessee State University, TN

2007    Group Show, 10th National Juried Exhibition Baker Arts Center Liberal, KA

2007    Group Show, In a New Direction: An Exhibition of New Ideas

2007    Wall Space Gallery Seattle, WA

2006    Group Show, Contained Art galerie-sei-un-do Zurich, Switzerland

2006    Group Show, Destination Anywhere S. Dillon Ripley Center, Washington, DC

2006    Group Show, TPS 15: The National Competition Texas Photographic Society

2006    San Antonio, TX

 

COLLECTIONS

Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Progressive Collection

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Portland Art Museum

Comcast

 

AWARDS

2012 Foam Paul Huf Award Nominee

PDN 30 2012 Nominee

Baum Award SF Camera Works 2010 Nominee

PDN 30 under 30 2009 Nominee

Trustees Fellowship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Silver Eye Center for Photography 2007 Fellowship

Art Ability First Prize Still Life

Rome Art Coterie First Prize Photography

“10th National Juried exhibition” 2nd Place Award

Destination Anywhere Second Award

Northern National Art Competition Grand Prize

Photo National Juror’s Award of Excellence

 

PRESS

Conveyor Arts Mapping Issue The Photographer’s Studio Featuring Caleb Charland

Digital Photo Pro Feature June 2011

Microbiologist March 2011

Unpublished, Italy 2011

Etapes Magazine, France 2011

Wired Magazine Feature November, 2010

Discover Magazine “Genius” Special Issue

Harper’s Magazine October, 2010 “Rangoon Green” by Barry Hannah

Discover Magazine How To Travel Through Time

Discover Magazine Extreme Universe Special Edition Unanswered Questions in Physics

Wallpaper* September 2009

Progressive Corporation Annual Report 2008

Field of Vision Blog Spot, James Reid

Conscientious Review: Transmutations at Michael Mazzeo, Joerg Colberg

IHeartPhotograph

Magenta Publishing for the Arts: Flash Forward 2008 Selected Winner USA

Popular Photography “You Can Do It” May 2008

Aperture Foundation Portfolio Review, Honorable Mention 2008

“Caleb Charland’s photographs at Silver Eye evoke the curiosity of scientific experimentation” Pittsburgh City Paper, Samantha Archetti

“Silver Eye experiments with weird science” Pittsburgh Tribune- Review, Kurt Shaw

The Photo Review 23rd International Photography Competition 2007

Photographer’s Forum Best of Photography Annual 2007

Words and Images Published by University of Southern Maine 2007

The Photo Review 22nd International Photography Competition 2006

Nominee Baum Award SF Camera Works 2010