Carlos Limas
Stillness: Kingsville, TX, 2021
Inkjet print on Epson Ultra Premium Archival Luster Paper
16 x 16 in
40.6 x 40.6 cm
40.6 x 40.6 cm
Edition of 5
Photography is more complex than finding focus on the camera, creating a composition, or capturing lighting conditions. I have always been fascinated by how perception can change our sense of...
Photography is more complex than finding focus on the camera, creating a composition, or capturing lighting conditions. I have always been fascinated by how perception can change our sense of reality when engaging with an image. The interaction that occurs between past experiences and our unconscious generates new mental images that transcend the reality shown. Photography is more about human emotions and how we as spectators connect with the image. But for this to happen, we need to embrace the act of contemplation, which translates to a suspended moment of complete Stillness.
I particularly find dilapidated buildings and old houses visually fascinating. It could be the eerie undertones of mystery they project or just my nostalgia for past times. I reflect on the narrative of a time without cell phones, social media, or internet. With this in mind, I began this series three years ago capturing the urban and rural landscape of the Rio Grande Valley. I follow a traditional Deadpan style that is very popular in medium format film photography with a 1:1 ratio (a square photo). In this case, this style is emulated by a full-frame digital camera. Deadpan has been adopted for decades by many artists and photographers to represent a subject that lacks any kind of emotion or action. There is no joy or sorrow, and images appear just as they are. In other words, there is a peculiar perception of emptiness, an indifference towards the viewer. I use this style to depict the positioning of the horizon, symmetry, and the use of negative space to find a more appealing visual balance, framing each scene differently depending on the characteristics of each location. I usually go out on weekends early in the morning or late in the afternoon to capture “the golden hour” of light, which I think has a greater impact on textures and colors.
There are no empty spaces, even when no line in the horizon is visible. There are only human emotions. I will continue embracing the act of contemplation, not only as a photographer but also as a spectator. This search for Stillness is a practice we all need to engage in more often, either behind the camera lens or in our lives. We must slow down until we rest in complete Stillness.
I particularly find dilapidated buildings and old houses visually fascinating. It could be the eerie undertones of mystery they project or just my nostalgia for past times. I reflect on the narrative of a time without cell phones, social media, or internet. With this in mind, I began this series three years ago capturing the urban and rural landscape of the Rio Grande Valley. I follow a traditional Deadpan style that is very popular in medium format film photography with a 1:1 ratio (a square photo). In this case, this style is emulated by a full-frame digital camera. Deadpan has been adopted for decades by many artists and photographers to represent a subject that lacks any kind of emotion or action. There is no joy or sorrow, and images appear just as they are. In other words, there is a peculiar perception of emptiness, an indifference towards the viewer. I use this style to depict the positioning of the horizon, symmetry, and the use of negative space to find a more appealing visual balance, framing each scene differently depending on the characteristics of each location. I usually go out on weekends early in the morning or late in the afternoon to capture “the golden hour” of light, which I think has a greater impact on textures and colors.
There are no empty spaces, even when no line in the horizon is visible. There are only human emotions. I will continue embracing the act of contemplation, not only as a photographer but also as a spectator. This search for Stillness is a practice we all need to engage in more often, either behind the camera lens or in our lives. We must slow down until we rest in complete Stillness.
