Origins, Art, and Perspective.
This was the first study with an objective. A territory to be captured. Quickly. Daylight hours. It’s not safe. Something was happening during the time these were taken. “Something” wanted out. Since then the works are too many and too varied to count. Hundreds. Where do they come from? No idea.
The origin story of the Lab began up Sycamore Hill, minutes from the location where these photos were taken. Didn’t live there long. Brought home from the hospital as a newborn, then maybe another six months to a year. Employment with the Cincinnati Police helped move the family a few miles north to a working class neighborhood near Procter & Gamble’s Ivory Dale Plant. The “Willy Wonka Factory” of the lab’s childhood.
When these photos were taken, this website was not active. It was online but dormant since November ‘23. After returning from Thailand, there was a manic, almost possessed motivation to open a gallery or studio. It was very disruptive for those in my proximity. I’m sorry for that.
The search for a gallery space near Findlay Market, a few bad decisions on which route to take get back home, and this photo series was captured.
The last photo caused an encounter. An unpleasant one. A misunderstanding of my purpose and location. Nothing came of it. It could have ended badly. Words were said, face to face, to indicate such a potentiality. “Motherf#cker, I outta stick you”, was what was told. I believed him.
There was a bigger narrative intended for this body of work. Commentary on poverty and its generational impact. Especially for the lab. Also generational trauma, how it’s passed instead of absorbed and how it warps minds, ruins families, and leaves a decades trail of destruction. There may have been some scores to settle. The Truth does set you free.
In the end, there are just the photos. These were not just taken near the place where I was born, they also gave birth to the “style” of work and how photographs are presented in a common way since.
These are not filters. People see them and say they like the filter. Shut yo’ mouth! Every photo is tuned by hand using every setting available from black point, Saturation, Noise Reduction, Shadow, Contrast, etc. It’s just time. Nothing fancy, and absolutely no filters.
When I walk, I see the results in real time in the buildings, in the architecture, landscape, nature, people, in everyday life. Something presents itself. I capture, and then I draw out what wanted to be seen. Simple.
With this set, the attempt was to show the beauty that still exists in these buildings, even after the years of trauma and neglect. Under the right circumstances, and viewed with a reflective eye, with a kind perspective, everything is beautiful. Peace. Have a wonderful weekend.
–Circuitdelic Laboratory
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