THOMAS CARR

My artwork is a synthesis of photography and archaeology. As a young photographer in the 1980s, I found myself drawn towards making images of places with subtle indications of a past human presence. This led to my pursuit of a career in archaeology, which has allowed me to visit many significant historic sites and associated landscapes. Having been trained in photography, I endeavor to document the essence of these places in visual terms. This subtle sense of presence is what I seek in my photography. I’ve applied this approach to a variety of projects over my 40 year career. I have two major types of portfolios that I create – these are straight film based photography, typically large or medium format, as well as more impressionistic/abstract work that uses digital composites. My artistic influences include photographers Eugene Atget, Clarence John Laughlin, Linda Connor, Edward Weston, Diane Arbus, Paul Caponigro, Fay Godwin, and Francesca Woodman; as well as filmmakers Ingmar Bergman, Werner Herzog, Akira Kurosawa, and Andrei Tarkovsky.

My photography has been shown in numerous juried, group, and solo exhibitions over the last 40 years, and has received a number of awards and honors with numerous invited solo exhibitions at major cultural institutions such as the Center of Southwest Studies in Durango, the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology, the Farmington Museum, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Museum, the Ute Indian Museum, the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, the Denver Public Library Western Art Gallery, the Littleton Town Hall Arts Center; as well as invited group shows at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Mizel Museum, Durango Arts Center, Arvada Center, Open Shutter Gallery, and dozens of juried exhibitions. My filmmaking work has been recognized with screenings at film festivals in the USA, Belgium, and France. I have also lectured extensively on the history of photography, archaeology, visual ethnography, and historic preservation at professional conferences and public symposiums across the country over the last 30 years.

TRANSFORMING UNCERTAINTY