Jenelle Esparza on Michael C. Howell, sorry forgot to say my name

I have been reading articles online about contemporary photographers. One of them is Michael C. Howell. His work has been shown at the Joan Grona Gallery at Blue Star. He presented a body of photographs there in 2005 called LATENT DENSITIES: DIALOG VIA CHEMIGRAMS that explores the idea of language or a conversation between forms. In his artist statement he states that he is trying to create a dialogue by presenting one side of the conversation (the images) while the viewer provides the other side. I often think about the source and the philosophy of language or how we put a sound to a feeling or observation in order to communicate. There are many forms of communication therefore there are many forms of language. I’m not just talking about different spoken languages such as Spanish or French, but rather unspoken communication on a subconscious level. I like that Howell is stating that even images can talk to you because that is a form of subconscious communication. It’s almost like body language or expression. He is using a process called a chemigram where one applies painter’s materials to photographic paper and exposes it in well-lit areas (he doesn’t use a darkroom). Each image is a different statement in the conversation.