Feature Tue Oct 20 2009

Sneak Peek: Keith B. Evans' Unreleased Backgrounds

On Friday, Simple Gallery will present Unreleased Backgrounds, a show of Keith B. Evans' photography at Michelle Geoga Photography Studio. In advance of the show, we asked Keith for a few words about Unreleased Backgrounds. Selected images follow.

Unreleased Backgrounds is a selection of views of my urban environment to portrait subtle and not-so-subtle relationships. These are portraits of what would otherwise play a supporting role to the life & landscape around us. By emphasizing what is overlooked, I want to reveal the complexity of our everyday surroundings. The collaged layers of space color & texture surrounding us in the city.

On the first glance, something may be slightly out of place or overlooked. Dynamic moments where urban density takes over; adjustments have been made, unlikely elements are forced to occupy the same space. There is a beauty in the way that changes are fabricated to accommodate un-ideal situations. It's the nature of incessant urban change.

About the Photographer

Keith B. Evans first discovered his passion for photography while documenting his work at the University of Kentucky College of Architecture. Keith studied abroad in Paris, France and Venice, Italy. While in Europe, he discovered the complex relationships in the densities & intricate layers of the old cities: the many elements that define the fabric of a city each revealed a subtle beauty & personality. He subsequently completed a bachelor's degree in architecture with a secondary focus in photography.

Keith has resided in Los Angeles & Chicago, working professionally as an architect for a variety of residential & commercial design firms. For Keith, photography has been a research tool & a medium for meditation. His compositions are influenced by architectural drawings and wonderful examples of textures, spaces and light. Keith's photography work is a record of his own observations of his environment; his images become a collection of sketches & relationships of his surroundings.

Keith has exhibited photographs in Lexington, KY & Los Angeles, CA, & Chicago, IL. "Unreleased Backgrounds" is his first solo show in Chicago.

— David Schalliol / Comments (0)