The Source From the Blue Ridge is Caswell’s newest site-specific work. The series of 60 plus tintypes systematically consider our planets star the sun and our sense of place within that celestial context. Installed as a modular grid the 8×10 tintypes allow for contemplative and abstract reflection on this aspect of the natural world – one experienced daily but not visible with our naked eye.
The project utilizes visual experimentation to offer reflections on our contemporary understanding of being in a place. Through these experimental works, the images transcend the boundaries of visibility, capturing abstract and detailed depictions of the sun amidst subtle silhouettes of trees and ridge lines firmly grounding the compositions in the essence of nature. The interplay between the sun’s rays, clouds, and atmosphere, combined with the unique aberrations in the wet plate emulsion, creates an abstracted view of the qualities experienced within these mesmerizing landscapes. The works also evoke a sense of introspection as they play with the idea of looking into the sun, allowing viewers to contemplate the source of light that shapes our existence.
Cole Caswell 