Bob Cornelis is an American photographer based out of California. His photographic work is influenced by his background in painting and mono-printing. Throughout his artistic career, Cornelis’s focus has been on the art of the print, and he even established one of the country’s earliest digital printing studios. For Cornelis, the best way for his personal vision to reach the viewers is through the print. To enhance the interaction between the artwork and the viewer he uses 19th century printing techniques such as platinum/palladium and gum bichromate. Cornelis believes that holding a physical copy of his photographs allow for a more intimate connection between the viewer and the artwork, and a better understanding of the world as he sees it.
The images bellow are part of his series called Carta I. It is a study on how the combination of paper and light creates a universe of line, plane, contour, and shadow. In his artist statement, Cornelis describes paper as not only a vehicle for other artwork, but a work of art itself. The manipulation of the paper to bend light and create shadow shows us how light creates form in space. We often don’t think about the importance of light in creating shapes that our eyes can recognize. These images allow us to step into a universe of abstraction where that concept is simplified. After viewing these images, one might begin to pay closer attention to simple forms in our everyday lives.
Bob Cornelis, Carta I A
Bob Cornelis, Carta I C
Bob Cornelis, Carta I O