Capturing the Unexpected: DTLA’s Chow exhibits ‘cameraless’ photography art
By Hayden Dobb, LA Downtown News Staff Writer / Oct 30, 2024 LA-based artist and photographer Richard S. Chow is celebrated for his fine art, documentary and photo-based creations. From his studio in Little Tokyo, Chow works to present his pieces in solo exhibitions at prestigious venues.
His latest exhibition, “Present Tense,” will be displayed at Gallery 825 through Monday, Nov. 22.
Chow’s solo exhibition, “Present Tense,” displays an inventive and original series created through alternative “cameraless” photography. The collection features lumen and cyano lumen prints, which offer vibrant compositions for the mind and eyes. The exhibit’s title symbolizes the repurposing of vintage mediums to contemporary art. Chow’s work utilizes the elemental forces of light and nature to create abstract imagery, harnessing themes of unpredictability and impermanence.
Through his analog process, Chow seizes the concept of “slow photography,” where individual pieces become a staple and record of time, imprinted directly onto paper. The “cameraless” approach promotes extensive contemplation and purposeful time investment in each piece.
In Chow’s meditative practice, “Present Tense” calls attention to a pause in the rush of modern life to appreciate transient beauty that often goes unnoticed.
“Each work in the exhibit is made into an image from vintage black and white darkroom paper,” Chow said. “These pieces are exposed to UV light or the sun, and turn into colorful imagery.”
The LA resident and artist specializes his talents in slow and “cameraless” photography. Each image in the “Present Tense” exhibition was made entirely by light alone, without the work of any cameras. Curated by the staff at Gallery 825, “Present Tense” was selected to showcase Chow’s unique eye and distinctive works. “I’m so honored to have a solo exhibit at Gallery 825,” Chow said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to show my work to new audiences and hopefully it will be a chance for more people to learn about the art of ‘cameraless’ photography.”
“Present Tense” contains 15 original pieces by Chow of all shapes, sizes and colors.
“The pieces I’m most excited to share with new audiences would be ‘Virus’ and ‘Smoked,’” Chow said.
“These pieces are so abstract, it’s almost hard to name them because everyone sees something different in images made by ‘cameraless’ photography. The use of colors that come about are always so surprising and exciting for me to see because they come from black and white paper, so I’m eager to share that with everyone else and hear what they see in my work.”
When black-and-white paper is exposed to UV light, the hues change to make a surprising pigment in Chow’s work. There are three factors in creating this type of slow photography: the type of paper used, how old the paper is and how long the paper is exposed.
“The most important factor by far is the type of paper that is used for a ‘cameraless’ project,” Chow noted. “The vintage darkroom paper I use is expired. The older, the better.”
“The reason why I create what I create is to find beauty in the unexpected,” Chow explained. “I want to embrace the impermanence of the medium and of life itself. The process I use in slow photography is very intentional — the exposure can take from minutes to hours. I think it’s important for LA residents and visitors to come to see ‘Present Tense’ because the analog process is unpredictable, and it’s a chance to see something new and old at the same time. These pieces mirror the uncertainty of life, which can be a beautifully unconventional thing.”
“Present Tense”
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Nov. 22.
WHERE: Gallery 825, 825 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles
COST: Free admission
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