Chris Dahlquist

My current work pushes beyond the basics of photography while echoing the traditional processes of tin-type and daguerreotype. Using a modern technique of Polaroid Emulsion Transfer, I combine my images with metal surfaces; aluminum and copper. Starting from one of my original slides, I make a Polaroid print. Then, using heat, I separate the image from its paper backing and carefully transfer it by hand onto the alternate surface; copper, aluminum, acrylic paint or a page from an old book. I treat the copper with heat to give it the rich patina, and the aluminum is sandblasted to achieve the textured effect. Then to prevent any further color change, all the pieces are sealed. In this process the exact and precise discipline of photography gives way to intuition and chance, and unlike a photographic print, no two transfers can ever be identical.At eight years old, I made my first pinhole camera and learned darkroom basics. I was hooked. After high school, I immediately began my career working in commercial photography and film. I also began teaching to help others benefit from this vehicle for self expression that has been so important to me. At twenty-eight I began pursuing art full time. My studio and the rest of my stuff are in Kansas City, Missouri, where I can be found approximately six months of the year. The balance of the year my husband, Kyle, and I travel the country showing my work in cities from Salina to Sausalito, from Austin to Ann Arbor. Thanks for coming to the show and I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy creating it!