Caitlin Teal Price an artist immersed in the vibrant cultural milieu of New York City, has woven a diverse tapestry of artistic exploration. Her recent venture into Scratch Drawings stands as a testament to her innovative spirit, marking a departure from straight photography and delving into the tactile realms of mixed media works on paper.
This creative divergence finds its roots in the pivotal life moment of motherhood. With the birth of her second child, Price shifted her practice from photographing on the road to a studio-based setting, avoiding separation from home. The quest for a more grounded practice led her toward the tactile allure of unique works on paper—a dramatic departure from her previous photographic beachscapes (stranger lives) and cinematic portrayals (Annabelle, Annabelle).
Despite visual contrasts between these bodies of work, Price’s thematic consistency remains anchored in the trinity of photographic elements—light, texture, and color. Her recent works reveal a palpable shift away from digital artistry, finding magic in the physicality of image manifestation.
The genesis of Scratch Drawings emerged in her studio from a fortuitous exploration of mark-making, blending her fascination and love of light with the intimacy of manual marks. This convergence laid the groundwork for a nuanced and meticulous artistic trajectory.
Price’s creative process unfolds in a dance between collected abstractions and captured light. Price is inspired by photographic compositions found in seminal photography books andcreates abstractions from those compositions. Price then photographs the transient interplay of light that shines through the windows of her home. These ephemeral plays of light serve as miniature backdrops, providing a stage for the delicate fusion of etchedabstractions with captured images. This intricate pairing progresses into large works on paper where she intricately carves into her photographic prints with x-acto blades, each incision laden with deliberate intent.
Scratch Drawings, a divergence from conventional photographic methodologies, emerges not as a disruption but as a homage—an ode to the essence of photography. Each base color selected pays homage to the RGB/CMYK color scale, while the textured scratches evoke an era from photography’s historical fabric. Here, light reigns supreme, revered, and immortalized.
Caitlin Teal Price’s journey through Scratch Drawings isn’t just a departure; it’s an evolution—an intimate and tactile odyssey weaving light, mark-making, and a profound reverence for the essence of photography into a mesmerizing tapestry of artistic expression. As viewers engage with Price’s Scratch Drawings, they are invited to explore the delicate dance between the tangible and the unseen, witnessing the spirit and magic that permeate the fabric of daily existence. Her profound evolution encourages us to find the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary moments of our lives.
