TITLE: Photos We Remember Ourselves By

Photos We Remember Ourselves By is a series of medium format analog images occupied by the conflict of dualities. These photos seek to expose the subtle commonalities between seemingly opposing subject matter. The exploration of this theme presents a neutral space for the resolution of conflicts produced by the ideology of dualism. Exploring themes such as life and death, shadow and light, and the physical versus the spiritual, the resulting images serve as a nondiscriminatory ground where conflicting ideas can exist harmoniously within the same plane.
While photography serves as the foundation for these photos, the series is informed by art history, specifically influenced by the shift of representational painting to abstraction at the turn of the 20th century. Drawing inspiration from the avant-garde movements of Dada and Cubism allows for the reexamination of photography as it presently inhabits the canon of art history as a mainly representational medium.
Further building on the theme of duality, the inclusion of printed digital photographs within final analog compositions creates amalgamations of the past and future, the manual and the automatic, and the tangible within the ethereal. The resulting works are educated yet original and aim to push forward not only the accepted notions of the photographic medium but also offer a sanctuary in the discovery of the multidimensionality of oneself, a process often hindered by adhering to extreme ideologies and opinions.

AUTHOR: Seth Thompson (United States)

Seth Jones Thompson (b. 1987) is a photographer currently residing in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. After graduating college (Georgia State University, BFA, 2011) he pursued a career in commercial photography while participating in gallery shows; most notably The People’s Gallery at Austin City Hall (TX), The Chateau Gallery (KY), and the Association of Visual Arts (TN). In 2019 after a near death experience, Thompson was graced with a new appreciation for life and all its mysteries. This has since served as the foundation for a more experimental and deeply personal artistic practice. His current study of analog photography and its unexplored potential was honored with the solo show Photos We Remember Ourselves By in 2024 at the Cherokee County Arts Council. His work has been published by F-Stop Magazine, Shoutout Atlanta, Voyage ATL, The People’s Gallery, and the Cherokee Scout along with multiple contributions to local zines and journals. Presently, Thompson works from his studio/darkroom in Blue Ridge, GA and is represented by The Valley River Arts Guild (NC). Starting September of 2024, he will be pursuing his graduate degree in photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design.