Photography by Francis Schanberger

Congratulations to Francis Schanberger!
We are excited to showcase this local artist. This piece is on display through January at Custom Frame Services.

From the Artist:
In the springtime, sometimes the least noticeable things can be a humbling force of nature. Since my move to Ohio from the more sinus friendly climate of the California coast, I noticed that in late March and early April my nose would itch, my eyes water, and incessant sneezing would commence. I began to collect parts of trees that had fallen to the ground or were hanging from branches within reach of my outstretched hands. Instead of my eyes, my sinuses were suggesting a future photographic project.
Like the naturalists of the 19th century who used photography to record their botanical specimens, I use the parts of trees I collect on walks (or lately find in the produce section of a supermarket), scanning them into the computer to make a negative and printing them in the historical Van Dyke Brown process. Using Kozo Unryu Japanese paper, the intensity of the brown color and the interaction of the swirling paper fibers provide the unexpected to an image so grounded in the scientific. The final image alludes to the dreamy, somnambulant state of observation I find myself in early April under the influence of pollen and antihistamines.
You can see more of his work at www.FrancisSchanberger.com