Charland, Caleb
As I explore the domestic space, from the basement to the backyard, I find ways to exploit the mysterious qualities of everyday objects and familiar materials. Each photograph begins with a simple question “How would this look? Is that possible? What would happen if...?” and develops through a sculptural process of experimentation. This work combines my scientific curiosity with a constructive approach to making pictures. I utilize everyday objects and fundamental forces to elaborate upon experiences of wonder. For me, wonder is a state of mind somewhere between knowledge and uncertainty. It is the basis of my practice and results in images that are simultaneously familiar and strange. The human presence provides a clue to the creation of the photograph while adding to the mysterious nature of the image. Photography serves my practice well as a means to experience this activity in a single moment, or to combine several different moments into a single experience.
(All images are created in-camera without digital manipulation)
BIO
Growing up in rural Maine, Charland spent much of his childhood helping his father remodel their family homes. These experiences instilled an awareness of the potential for the creative use of materials, and the ability to fabricate his visions. Charland earned a BFA in photography with departmental honors from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2004 and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as a Trustees Fellow in 2010. His work has been shown internationally and is in the Collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Progressive Collection, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
EDUCATION
2010 M.F.A Photography School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Trustees Fellowship
2009 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME
2004 B.F.A. Photography with Departmental Honors Massachusetts College of Art
Boston, MA
EXHIBITIONS
2013 Piece Work Portland Museum of Art Biennial 2013 Portland, ME
2013 Solo Show Center For Maine Contemporary Art Rockport, ME
2013 Solo Show Fathom and Fray Schneider Gallery Chicago, IL
2013 Solo Show Backscatter Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA
2013 Eco-Logic: Artists’ Take on Environmental Changes Herron School of Art and Design
Indianapolis, IN
2012 FotoFocus Public Art Installation with Artworks Cincinnati, OH
2012 Group Show There is Something Happening Here Brancolini Grimaldi Gallery, London UK
2012 Group Show Into the Woods ClampArt, New York, NY
2012 Group Show Second Nature: Abstract Photography Then and Now
2012 deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln MA
2012 Two Person Show Artifacts and Particles Addison Wooley Gallery, Portland, MaineSolo Show 2011 Demonstrations Rita Castellote Gallery, Madrid, Spain
2011 Artist in Residence Imagine Science Film Festival, New York
2011 Solo Show Fathom and Fray Michael Mazzeo Gallery New York
2011 Group Show Experimental Station, CA2M, Madrid, Spain
2011 Group Show Unhooked From Time Gallery Project Ann Arbor, MI
2011 Solo Show Demonstrations Bullseye Gallery, Portland, OR
2011 Next Art Fair, Swimmingpool Projects, Chicago, IL
2010 Art Fair Swimming Pool Project Space Chicago, IL
2010 Group Show, Burning Desire Michael Mazzeo Gallery, New York, NY
2010 Solo Show Demonstrations Blue Sky Gallery Portland, OR
2010 Group Show, After Before Swimming Pool Project Space Chicago, IL
2009 Group Show, Capturing Motion Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, MI
2009 Solo Show, Demonstrations Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA
2009 Group Show, Transmutations: Abstraction in Nature Michael Mazzeo Gallery, New York, NY
2009 Group Show, Creative Sparks St. Vincent's Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2009 Group Show, Art Fair! Michael Mazzeo Gallery New York, NY
2009 Armory Show, VSA Arts, New York, NY
2008 Northeast Exposure Online, Photographic Resource Center at Boston University, Boston MA
2008 Group Show How I Spent My Summer Vacation Michael Mazzeo Gallery, New York, NY
2007 Solo Show, Proof Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh,PA
2007 Solo Show, Demonstrations Susan Maasch Fine Art Portland, ME
2007 Group Show, Abilities Arts Festival Joseph D. Carrier Gallery Toronto, Ontario
2007 Group Show, Light Night 2007 Art and Cultural Festival Reykjanes, Iceland Group Show,
Halpert Biennial 2007 Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Appalachian State University,
Boone, NC
2007 Group Show, Rome Art Coterie 5th National Juried Exhibition Rome, GA
2007 Group Show, Destination Anywhere Miami University Art Museum Oxford, OH
2007 Group Show, Positive/Negative Twenty Two Slocumb Galleries
2007 East Tennessee State University, TN
2007 Group Show, 10th National Juried Exhibition Baker Arts Center Liberal, KA
2007 Group Show, In a New Direction: An Exhibition of New Ideas
2007 Wall Space Gallery Seattle, WA
2006 Group Show, Contained Art galerie-sei-un-do Zurich, Switzerland
2006 Group Show, Destination Anywhere S. Dillon Ripley Center, Washington, DC
2006 Group Show, TPS 15: The National Competition Texas Photographic Society
2006 San Antonio, TX
COLLECTIONS
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Progressive Collection
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Portland Art Museum
Comcast
AWARDS
2012 Foam Paul Huf Award Nominee
PDN 30 2012 Nominee
Baum Award SF Camera Works 2010 Nominee
PDN 30 under 30 2009 Nominee
Trustees Fellowship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Silver Eye Center for Photography 2007 Fellowship
Art Ability First Prize Still Life
Rome Art Coterie First Prize Photography
“10th National Juried exhibition” 2nd Place Award
Destination Anywhere Second Award
Northern National Art Competition Grand Prize
Photo National Juror’s Award of Excellence
PRESS
Conveyor Arts Mapping Issue The Photographer’s Studio Featuring Caleb Charland
Digital Photo Pro Feature June 2011
Microbiologist March 2011
Unpublished, Italy 2011
Etapes Magazine, France 2011
Wired Magazine Feature November, 2010
Discover Magazine “Genius” Special Issue
Harper’s Magazine October, 2010 “Rangoon Green” by Barry Hannah
Discover Magazine How To Travel Through Time
Discover Magazine Extreme Universe Special Edition Unanswered Questions in Physics
Wallpaper* September 2009
Progressive Corporation Annual Report 2008
Field of Vision Blog Spot, James Reid
Conscientious Review: Transmutations at Michael Mazzeo, Joerg Colberg
IHeartPhotograph
Magenta Publishing for the Arts: Flash Forward 2008 Selected Winner USA
Popular Photography “You Can Do It” May 2008
Aperture Foundation Portfolio Review, Honorable Mention 2008
“Caleb Charland’s photographs at Silver Eye evoke the curiosity of scientific experimentation” Pittsburgh City Paper, Samantha Archetti
“Silver Eye experiments with weird science” Pittsburgh Tribune- Review, Kurt Shaw
The Photo Review 23rd International Photography Competition 2007
Photographer’s Forum Best of Photography Annual 2007
Words and Images Published by University of Southern Maine 2007
The Photo Review 22nd International Photography Competition 2006
Nominee Baum Award SF Camera Works 2010
Nominee PDN 30 under 30 2009
Guest Artist, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO March 2009
Guest Artist, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL April 2009
Review Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM June 2008
Guest Artist, Bowling Green State University Photography Program
Bowling Green, Ohio April 2007
