Ryan Lips: The Red Chair
December 1-31, 2018

In conjunction with PhotoNOLA 2018, Algiers Regional Library presents Ryan Lips‘ recent project, The Red Chair.

STATEMENT:
These photographs are part of a series called The Red Chair – something I’ve been working on for a while and been thinking about for even longer – how to create a deeper connection with landscape photography.

The most difficult things to convey in a landscape photograph are almost always scale and intimacy. Scale is difficult because a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional world can fall short in portraying the scale of the scene and more importantly, how big the scene is in relation to a human being. Intimacy is especially difficult with landscapes because while the scene may be beautiful, there’s nothing in the photograph that the viewer can latch on to. I see some landscape photographers position people in their photographs. And while that works in some, it’s still not “you.” It’s someone else and the chance for intimacy can wane.

This project attempts to address those two things – intimacy and scale.

The backstory on the chair is a personal one. It’s a chair that was in my room as a young boy and only came back into my possession recently. Instantly, the thought of incorporating it into my photography became something I began to think about. My hope is that something we all use – a simple chair – will give that extra layer of connection to this series of photographs.

As with all of my photography, my primary goal is to make something I love and it’s a bonus if others do as well.

– Ryan Lips