ARTIST STATEMENT:
My desire to create portraits that aren't direct and true provides me with a good reason to use Lith materials as my medium. This darkroom technique can produce results that show an altered reality in the final outcome, bringing forth an illusion for the viewer, and a misrepresentation of accuracy. By photographing through diffusion materials and then printing with Lith chemistry on suitable papers, I can achieve what I'm searching for in creating my 'paper dreams.'
A simple explanation of Lith printing is that you heavily overexpose your negative in the darkroom and then develop the print in a very weak A+B solution of Lith chemistry. It takes some time for the print to appear on the paper, and you must keep an eye on it to watch for the important areas of black and decide just when you should snatch the print from your developing tray and plunge it into the Stop bath. This fast transfer from bath to bath immediately stops the blacks from rapidly multiplying and grouping together. Only certain black-and-white darkroom papers will successfully work in Lith printing, and unfortunately many of those papers have disappeared from today's market, mainly due to the rise in digital camera use. As an alternative process printer, my hope is that I will be able to continue printing with Lith chemistry and my ongoing search for beautiful old papers is never-ending. Please also note that none of these images have been toned, since the colors and tones that you see occur naturally, and can change from paper to paper, since each paper has its own makeup and characteristics.
More of my work can be seen at www.susandewitt.net.
ARTIST BIO:
Born, raised and educated in Canada
Photographic Training: Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle, Washington for 4 years
Studied with: Mary Ellen Mark, 2002: Bruce Barnbaum, 2003: Tim Rudman, 2007, 2008, 2011: Holly Roberts, 2008: Christopher James, 2008: Shelby Lee Adams, 2011: David W. Lewis, 2012
News:
Heartcore Magazine, Inaugural Issue 2015
Don't Take Pictures, Issue #3
Giuseppina Magazine, Seance issue
Looking Glass Magazine, December 31, 2014
Guest speaker at 2014 Northwest Symposium for Alternative Process Photography, Astoria, Oregon, September 12 - 14, 2014.
www.altphotopacifica.org/Events.html Photo District News Emerging Photographers article by David J. Carol,
April 15, 2014 - www.pdnonline.com/emergingphotographer/Susan-De-Witt-on-Lit-10664.shtml
www.topphotographyfilms.com/contemporary-photography/photographing-ghosts-susan-de-witt/
www.topphotographyfilms.com/photographers-featured-on-the-blog/susan-de-witt-lith-photography/
www.cadadiaunfotografo.com, September, 2013
Portland Art Museum Brown Bag Lunch Series, PowerPoint presentation, September 18, 2013
dodho.com/lith-printing-by-susan-de-witt, August, 2013
www.platestopixels.com - Featured artist, February, 2013
Blue Sky's Pacific Northwest Photography Viewing Drawers, Portland, Oregon, juried selection 2013.
www.adorenoir.com Issue #9, interview March, 2012 fotosavant Susan de Witt, Interview
Exhibitions:
- Solo exhibition of 62 images at The Danish Museum of Photography, in Herning, Denmark www.fotomuseum.dk from June 4, 2015 through September 27, 2015.
- Gallery "Raw Beauty" showing STARK series, Arnhem, Netherlands, March - May, 2015.
- 'Velvet Eyes' invited to participate at Huangshan Yixian International Photo Festival, China, November 2 - 8, 2014.
- Lightbox Gallery, Astoria, Oregon ~ "Aura" show, October 11 thru November 5, 2014.. Two images chosen: 'Just Out of Reach' and 'Paper Dreams,' which received Juror's 2nd Award. Juror: Michelle Rogers Pritzi
- Royal Photographic Society International Print Exhibition #157 - "Velvet Eyes" to tour the UK for one year
- Blue Sky Gallery's 'The Optical' July, 2013. "The Flautist" chosen by juror Allan Chasanoff
- Portland Photo Month Exhibit at Lightbox Gallery, Astoria, Oregon, "Pen & Ink 2" chosen by juror Jim Leisy, April/May 2013
- Plates-to-Pixels, 'Enchantment' competition "Apparition" - chosen by juror Blue Mitchell, December, 2012
- Pinhole to iPhone Invitational, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts - 3 images chosen, June, 2012
- Mills Pond House Gallery, St. James, NY - 3 images chosen by juror
Christopher James for inclusion in The Hand-Made Photograph. May-June, 2012
- Lightbox Gallery, Astoria, Oregon - "Seduction" chosen for inclusion in PDX Photo Month Exhibit, April, 2012
- Solo exhibit, iWitness Gallery, Portland, Oregon - March 2 - April 28, 2012
- Black and White exhibition, Newspace Center for Photography, Portland, Oregon, "Paul Revere" chosen by Juror: Chris Bennett, February, 2012
- The Kiernan Gallery "Illusion & Chemistry" exhibition - Juror Christropher James. Images chosen: "Birthmark" and "Swish" - December, 2011.
- Texas Photographic Society 25th Annual Members’ Show - ‘Marielle’ chosen for exhibition by juror, Henry Horenstein, December, 2011
- Hand + Eye: An International Competition of Handcrafted Photography-2011 Jurors: Christina Z. Anderson & Sam Wang - "Wallflower" & "Mexican Memories" selected for show at Through This Lens Gallery, Durham, N.C. October 15 - November 16, 2011.
- Newspace Center for Photography, 3rd Annual Members’ Showcase - "Sarah" chosen for exhibition, September, 2011
- Lightbox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, Oregon, 2 images chosen for PhotoCraft show, August, 2011, Juror: Blue Mitchell
- Image ‘Corset’ chosen for inclusion in book "Identities Now - Contemporary Portrait Photography" put out by Peter Hay Halpert Gallery, NYC. Fall 2011.
- Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, New York - PortfolioX2 "Overlays" exhibit showing my ‘Some Assembly Required’ work. May/June 2011
- Centro Fotografico Alvarez Bravo, Oaxaca, Mexico - group exhibit, Spring 2011
- Silvershotz Magazine, Folio 2010 edition, a two page spread about my "Some Assembly Required" portfolio, using 5 images.
- Texas Photographic Society, Captivar La Luz, Juror: Kathy Vargas; "Young Catrina" September, 2010
- PhotoPlace Gallery, Vermont, Juror: Keith Carter "Incognito" April 2010
- PhotoSpiva 2010, Juror: Deborah Klochko, Director of the Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego "Sarah"
- Photolucida Critical Mass 2009 - Finalist with "Some Assembly Required" portfolio.
- PhotoPlace Gallery, Vermont, Juror: Blue Mitchell "Mexican Memories" October, 2009
- S60 Gallery, SeaTac, WA "Collaboration" Group Show, June, 2009
- Texas Photographic Society, Alternative Processes Competition, Juror: Christopher James "Ladies in Waiting" chosen to travel throughout Texas for 2 years.
- PhotoSpiva 2008 Annual Juried Exhibition, Juror: Rod Slemmons, 2 images selected April, 2008
- Viewpoint Photographic Art Center ‘Visual Edge 2007 - Handcrafted’ Jurors: Kerik Kouklis and Mary Swisher, January, 2007
- People in Places’ exhibition to benefit Habitat for Humanity, Portland, Oregon, 4 images selected December, 2005
- Photographic Center Northwest, Annual Juried Exhibition, Juror: Patricia McDonnell, Chief Curator of Tacoma Art Museum, January, 2004
- Glazer’s Gallery, Seattle, Washington, Solo exhibition, December, 2003
- Café Paloma, Seattle, Washington, Solo exhibition, November, 2003
- Photographic Center Northwest, ‘Documentary’ exhibition, May, 2003
- Frye Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, Celebrating Women in the Arts 2003 Northwest Women Photography Juried Exhibit, January, 2003
- Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, California, Juried Exhibition, Juror: Weston Naef, Curator for J. Paul Getty Museum, October, 2002
- Durden Gallery, Memphis, Tennessee, Group show, October, 2000
- Miner Gallery, Seattle, Washington, Group show, June, 2000
Website: www.susandewitt.net
Email: susan.mamam@gmail.com