On The River
Travis Lovell

Media: Tintype
Size: 17” x 14 ½”
Price: $500

Process:
This image is a unique in-camera positive created on blackened aluminum using the wet collodion process. The aluminum plate is coated with a thin layer of collodion with bromide and iodide salts added. Then the plate is sensitized in a bath of silver nitrate and then immediately loaded into the camera and exposed. The plate is then developed, fixed and rinsed. The final step is to coat the plate using sandarac varnish.


Artist Bio:
Travis Lovell received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from Brigham Young University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography through Maine Media College. He started teaching photography at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University as an adjunct in 2003. He is now an associate professor of photography and Department Chair for the Department of Art & Design at Utah Valley University.


Artist Statement:
When I photograph, I strive to achieve a level of order in a world of apparent disorder. Simple yet sophisticated compositions give me, as a viewer, a sense of comfort and confidence that there is some order and logic in the world; that the world is not wholly filled with chaos and unpredictability. I prefer to spend a lot of time with my subjects, hoping to find greater meaning or appreciation that can be subsequently captured and shared. The methods in which I print are also time intensive and hands on for similar reasons. One of the beauties of the photographic medium is that it can provide a platform where the practitioner and the viewer can question their interpretation of what they think they see. The photograph can become the conversation piece around which ideas are formulated and discussed.
The history and tradition of photography are embraced in both my own work and in my teaching. In fact, I have striven to combine my own creative work and my teaching more overtly. I believe photography is a form of teaching. It is the ability to critically analyze the world and translate observations so that others may appreciate or learn from the efforts.