This body of work centers on the Chesapeake Bay and the rich heritage of the bounty it produces as well as the lifestyles it has fostered over hundreds of years. Both are dwindling. The Bay’s bounty is said to be in steep decline and in tandem, the vaunted life of the Bay “watermen” is likewise something which is too quickly disappearing. This is the case not just for the Chesapeake Bay, but for most of the small fisheries here on the East Coast--from Maine to the Carolinas.
The intersection of history with the great traditions of local fishing is the key to this series. Just as these fishing methods are under siege, so too are the photographic techniques of the past. These works are exhibited in distinct methods reflecting the legendary photographic processes utilized in the mid-1800s. Collodion Chloride and Waxed Salt Prints are created in a darkroom using the traditional chemical protocol of UV light, gold toning and fixing baths Second, a modern “tintype” created from hand- transfering a film image onto aged metal (hand-worked) plates. These photographic techniques are reflective of the individual nature of these industrious local fishermen--no two are just alike.
“Gone Fishin,” reflects several sub-categories: The iconic “old-timers” in their wooden workboats, and the harvest they still struggle to reap and process, and the working fleets of shrimpers, crabbers and oystermen along with the tools of their trade. Then there are the work sheds which dot all fishing communities--call them lobster shacks, fishing shacks or crab shanties, these small rustic buildings were perhaps the original man cave!