DEMING HAINES

             When most people see a bug outside, they think nothing of it or even try to avoid it. But for me, it is an opportunity. I immerse myself into the bug’s world, carefully focusing lights on each eye and iridescent wing. Having a deep appreciation for nature allowed me to fall in love with photography. Upon studying architects such as Tadao Ando and Louis Kahn, I realized that nature not only includes wildlife, but light and shadow. I transitioned from using strobes to showcase animals, to using lighting to showcase the beauty of light itself. Early in my photographic career, I suffered a traumatic concussion that left me with chronic headaches. I was unable to look at computer screens and struggled to edit any of my photographs. As a result, I set up my scenes physically instead of relying on post processing. I quickly realized that experimenting in 3D space produced effects that I would have never come up with on a computer. The power of physicality and unfiltered reality continue to be essential in my work.

            My photography has become more abstract over the years, now focusing on natural phenomena such as light refraction, reflection, and how man-made materials interact with nature. I am drawn to how we experience light and water in some form every day, yet they can still surprise us if arranged and framed with intent. Often times, viewers of my photographs think that what they are seeing was created solely on a computer, but in reality, everything happened in real life through simple physics and the power of the analog. I want viewers to reassess their place in their reality with natural phenomena being as interesting as any computer-generated movie. I want people to stop and appreciate how light passes through a window at night, how ripples in a puddle alters reflection, and how beautiful light itself can be.

           While I hope that my photographic medium inspires people to appreciate natural phenomena, I want to showcase the beauty of light and water first hand in my most recent installation, Splashes of Phenomena (COLLECTION 3). When viewers walk on a resonance board, their footsteps create colorful ripples which are projected onto a screen in front of them. It brings me great joy when people exclaim that they never thought water could be so beautiful. I will continue to question the importance of medium in my work and strive for people’s imaginations to be expanded. Even after years of hands-on experiments with light and water, both elements constantly remind me of the importance of questioning what is possible in this world we walk through.







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