On display in Central Bank of Boone County in downtown Columbia
July 12 - August 23
Artist Statement
Photographic Art has to be about more than just making pictures look pretty. It has to push perception beyond the ordinary – see the world beyond the veil and encourage the viewer to think about their realities. It has to be more ‘art’ than ‘photo’.
I began making photographic captures at age 15, working with film cameras and composing my work in darkrooms. The advent of digital photography and the emergence of the computer as the new darkroom opened broad new avenues for artistic expression that have dominated my imagination ever since. I aim to capture a range of subjects and styles, from abstract to cityscapes, landscapes to portraiture, extreme color to noir, realism to surrealism. I never stop experimenting and exploring new tools and techniques. Recently, I have begun blending layers of my digital compositions, often simple geometric shapes, to increase my work’s depth and complexity.
I have made the point that the photographic artist has to nail both the photography and the artistic expression for a piece to be successful – and now that I have begun incorporating digital art, original composition as well. The act of creating, I feel, is akin to breathing.
Artist Bio
Curtis Hendricks began shooting with his father’s 35mm Agfa when he was 15, growing up in a tiny farming town in downstate Illinois. He worked primarily in Kodachrome and black and white prints until the advent of digital photography turned his attention to abstract and surrealism, migrating between works of extreme color and stark noir. Since he began exhibiting his extensive portfolio in several Missouri galleries he has received numerous awards and recognitions.
He believes photographic art has to be about more than just making pictures look pretty. It has to push perception and encourage the viewer to think. It has to be more ‘art’ than ‘photo’. Hendricks received a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications/Journalism from Illinois State University, and after two years in U.S. Peace Corps received a Master’s Degree in Community Development from the University of Missouri. He lives with his family in Jefferson City.
