Chris D'Amore Photography [012]
No Swimming
Last year, I was lucky enough to be featured in Panopticon Gallery’s Film Is Not Dead exhibit. The submission they chose was one of my personal favorites, and they did a short interview with me, courtesy of Reagan Bullock. Check it out below!
What compelled you to make this image? - What is it about?
This image was taken on a campground at a bluegrass festival where people tend to get a bit rowdy and let loose. It’s all about enjoying each other’s company. An inflatable pool was brought by someone as a joke (obviously nobody was going to make good use of that.) The ‘No Swimming’ sign was originally posted at a nearby river to keep festival goers away. After a couple days, someone moved it over by the pool which had become a combination of stale beer and mud. It was a silly scene to wake up to, so I decided to photograph it.
Where are you from and how does that affect your work?
I’m from Massachusetts, and I live in New Hampshire now. Growing up in MA had a big impact on how I see the world and take photos because it used to be such an industrial powerhouse of a place. Over time, industry moved out, but remnants of how things used to be still remain. There are a lot of brick buildings and abandoned mills that are like relics of the past. There’s also a lot of natural beauty in New England between the mountains and the coast, and I’m interested in the juxtaposition between the natural world and how we’ve inhabited the landscape (in good ways and bad.) These concepts are definitely reflected in my work. The festival photo is a little out of the ordinary, though.
Is film your primary medium? Why or why not? And why did you shoot this image on film?
I exclusively shoot on film. If I ever shoot digitally, it’s just on my phone. The archival suitability of film is really interesting to me. Images on film can last a long time if they’re taken care of properly. An example that I often think about is the street portraiture of Vivian Maier which was discovered after she passed in 2009. She was considered very reclusive and mostly kept her photos to herself. Her massive archive of work was found a few years ago by chance, and it’s such a great example of the importance of film from a historical standpoint. Physical media is still crucial because files are easily lost on hard drives, and digital storage generally isn’t designed to last very long. The same goes for modern cameras that are reliant on electronics - they become difficult or impossible to repair over time. Using film also changes the process of how I take photos. It takes time because of the limited number of frames you have on a roll. For me, shooting digitally doesn’t inherently place value on an image the same way because there is practically an infinite number of shots to take.
What motivates you to create?
Taking photos is a constant in my life. I use it as both a coping mechanism and a way of documenting happier times. It all boils down to storytelling. I’m not great at public speaking, so photos allow me to express my thoughts in a different way, whether it’s through my own stories or if I’m given the opportunity to tell the stories of others.
This interview was heavily edited for clarity and to fix the repetitive nature of my enthusiasm.
Here’s the 20”x20” print of ‘No Swimming’ in all of its framed glory. It’s not on my site shop, but it is for sale… at the Special Newsletter Subscriber price of $350. (SHHHH!) Let me know if you’re interested.
Recently Featured Works & Shameless Plugs:
Today is the last day to view the Nor’Easterly 2 exhibit at Katzman Contemporary. I have a piece in the show called ‘Industry’. It’s open until 5 PM!
I have been invited to be a featured artist on Red Dot Culture and will have some limited edition prints there soon!
The Art Center in Dover is hosting a resident artist show starting on May 8th. I’m going to have a couple of huge prints there to check out. Stop by and check out my studio while you’re at it! (It’s open as long as the Art Center is.)
And now for something completely different: Here’s an absurdist review of Dunkin’ Donuts’ Caramel Chocolate Cold Brew that I finished writing last week.
Sounds From the Studio:
Archive Dive (a random photograph picked via number generator):
beautiful image