Cole Caswell, "Surf Point Glow. Plate SPF788," pigment print from glass plate negative, 20 x 16 in, $850

Artist Statement

My sense of home is tethered to an island off the coast of Maine. A landscape often battered by wind, drenched in waves, and enveloped in fog. The coastline of Maine has always felt like a mystical place for me, dotted by marshes, lagoons, and islands. Romantic and full of history, this place where sea meets land is going to change in dramatic ways as our planet’s climate continues to warm. Predicted sea level rise is already affecting the coastline and by the end of the century the places described in these images will be underwater or changed beyond recognition. Reclaimed by the ocean. My use of the wet-plate collodion process allows me to hand make each of these images while on location. The resulting glass-plate negatives are an accumulation of what it is like to be in a place – a tribute to a landscape that will be consumed by water and the rising ocean. The artifacts and unique marks within the hand poured negatives intrigue me. As chance-based additions they visually suggest the faltering of our contemporary world. Maybe visions from memory, a dream, or a fleeting glimpse of what is at stake as our climate changes the places we hold sacred.

Bio

Cole Caswell researches the remnants and patterns in our landscape that reflect contemporary strategies of survival. Through strata of observation, technology, subjectivity, and his surroundings, Caswell investigates geography and its impact on our perceived ability to survive. He uses traditional, historic and digital photographic media to investigate our present condition. Working and living in a nomadic format Cole travels throughout the country exploring our ability to subsist within the contemporary environment. His studio is located on Peaks Island off the coast of Maine.