Kristin Schillaci

Process:
1970’s Medium Format Bronica captured with Fujichrome Velvia slide film. High Resolution drum scan capturing all the original aspects of the analog slide. Museum quality archival pigment prints on fine art paper.
This is documentary style photography, the images are not staged or altered. I find this process rather fitting; using an old and forgotten thing, to photograph old and forgotten things.

Artist Statement: Just Passing Thru
My father was a wandering spirit. I grew up enthralled by his stories of gallivanting around the country living out of a converted bread truck in the 1970’s. Just Passing Thru’ captures remnants of an American culture that is fading away. As this culture is swallowed by the modern world, these images serve as windows into the past. I see these places for what they were. I imagine lives and families, which have come and gone. I see my father.
I’ve taken it upon myself to create this archive of Americana, iconic scenes capturing images of a simpler time. In their loneliness and abandonment I find a solemn beauty. I strive to capture this quietness through minimalism. The photographs in “Just Passing Thru’ are deceptive. Initially you are welcomed in by vibrant color and familiar imagery. Looking closer reveals a melancholy solitude. I am drawn to these images because of their mystery. I am fascinated by the untold stories of these forgotten places. I have not included portraits in this series. The work is about those who might have been there, not who still remains. There are also humorous and optimistic elements to the work, offsetting the often-overbearing weight of history.
‘Just Passing Thru’ confronts the inevitable passing of time, and the losses we all suffer as humans. When all else is lost, photographs remain, leaving us nostalgic, bittersweet as it may be.

Videos I made during lockdown about my work:
‘The Yard’ – two short ‘episodes’