2026 SPE Annual Conference: Catalyst for Exchange
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print this pageThe Magic Lantern
Chris Fraser
Saturday, October 19 - 12:30PM to 1:30PM
Conference Hall
I make pinhole projectors and room-sized cameras that give people an embodied, firsthand experience of the mechanics of picture making. In the spirit of direct contact, I will forgo a lecture about my previous work and instead demonstrate how images are made by projecting a selection of light bulbs through a crudely made magic lantern. For several years, I gave a similar demonstration on the first day of class for my introductory students. It was a great way of introducing them to the wonder of photography while also giving them technical perspective on the handheld cameras they would soon hold and tote around town. I have since used this technique to guide people through my studio process. At the core of my practice is a conviction that all illuminated space is picture space, and that images will be revealed when the ratio between light and dark tilts toward dark.
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Chris Fraser
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