Ethan Jackson

Ethan Jackson 

Ethan is a visual artist working in light, photography, media and installations. He has studied photography earning him a BA (1992) at Williams College and an MFA (1996) at the University of Colorado leading him onto teaching Photography and Media at Reed College. 

His work is now displayed nationally and internationally at exhibitions and public and private commissions. His most recent notable exhibition is at Gallery Sugata, Kyoto. 

Ethan uses light as a material using lens-optics, mirrors and rooms to sculpt it. His work revolves around using a historic or architecturally beautiful place as a 3D canvas for his work. The places where Ethan's work is set-up are ever changing, through the days, the passersby, the seasons and the weathers. The rooms the landscape is projected into is forever changing. 


Light drift - 2010 

    The image above is a camera obscura set-up and photographed by Ethan Jackson. The room is located in Denver, Colorado and the photographs were taken between October and December to show the changing season. The architectural optics filled the ceiling of a large, round, formal room with a 360 degree panorama of changing foliage, tree branches, and sky. The ceiling of the room is filled with the trees and branches that can be seen from different views of the room, meaning it isn't just one perspective projected onto the ceiling. Ethan says this is a 'camera obscura where viewers could spend time allowing their senses to adapt to subtle, continually changing imagery.' Rightly so as the ceiling is full of life and colour, no doubt an image that moves subtly with the wind. I think the image above is very effective in showing the feeling of the landscape, the beds that can be seen in the room almost look like hospital beds, due to this being a sunroom that was used by terminally ill patients a sad memory for many. By bringing this beautiful spectical onto the ceiling it almost makes you forget where it is or could act as a memorial of the heartbreak that has been there before. The fact that the room is circular and has many different windows indicates to me how you could be completely emersed in this setting, looking up and turning round to take it all in. One thing I have noticed about this image is the fact that the landscape is on the ceiling which appears to be done by adding mirrors underneath the windows in order to direct where the light hits in the room. 

Brick Fold - 2007

This next project was set-up for a store-front in New Haven, Connecticut. It was created by using four apertures and mirrors to project the narrow building opposite into the room, the mirrors helped to make the brick building look like it is folded where the floor meets the wall. The way it has been designed makes the sky appear at the top of the building and what looks like the bottom, almost like a floating building. I think this makes the image surreal, it isn't a true election of what is outside however it uses the landscape to create something original. As this was used in a store front I think it would've attracted the attention of many people passing by, this strange spectacle of the landscape that they can see around then on a wall like a painting. As you can see on the floor of this room, the buildings are slanting into one another, this is due to the fact that the projected building was narrow but the mirrors make it look like it fills the whole wall by expanding it as though it is continuous. I think this is a very clever advertising campaign that would be effective in attracting people to a store.

Mount Hope Meadow - 2009

The optical installation took place in Williamstown, Massachusetts during April and May so the season of Spring was included in the landscape. It took place in a stone barn showing the landscape of an open meadow. The optics projected a panoramic view of the sky on the ceiling and an inverted image of the landscape at each end of the room. This makes me think of the entire room being wrapped in the outside, the ceiling the sky and the walls the open landscape, it looks like an open space that could go on for miles however it is confined within four walls. As stated by Ethan himself ' the landscape changed from the dead grass of winter to the lush green grass of Spring', this is similar to the idea I pursued in Component 1 of recording the changes between the two seasons. There were nine systems set-up in this room each showing an original view but brought together all in one room. It is said that during the shooting of this project at times there were seven suns in the room where the placement of it outside was visible from each set-up. I believe that by shooting this it would be a fantastic piece of work in regards to fine art and surrealism. The stone walls of the rooms give the landscape texture and tie into the surroundings very effectively, due to it being a converted barn. The choice of settings is well thought out at the cold and colourless view of this room reflects the surrounding and perhaps lifestyle it is involved in. 

Sixteen Windows - 2006

This image was taken in a former congregational Church in Johnson, Vermont. Each window was fitted with a lens and mirror that carefully projected what was wanted. The upper level mainly consisted of the sky and the tops of the trees, constantly in motion due to the rolling clouds. Underneath the balcony was similar however this included the architecture around the Church to appreciate the surroundings. The rich colour that can bee seen in the sky is one of the most prominent aspects of this photograph as I think it celebrates its setting, the church which is some peoples light. The soft, gentle tones of the sky against the surrounding buildings works well will the delicate and intricately designed Church its in. I feel that this beautiful camera obscura does justice to the building whilst also respecting its heritage and allowing people to celebrate it in a different way. It has been stated that this particular camera obscura isn't done justice through a photograph, instead it should be shown as a time-lapse to show the subtle pace of it. However, some people have gone onto say that this piece isn't as amazing as when you see it with your own eyes as the quiet room with people moving slowly around it is what makes it so special as it adds atmosphere. 

Influence 

Ethan Jackson has been an inspiration in my work due to the amazing work he produces. I feel that I have taken some technique and creative ideas from Ethan as he does his work mainly for viewing not for photography. As you can see above he concentrates his projections onto different areas of the room where they don't naturally hit such as the ceiling. In my seventh shoot I tried to do this by distorting the landscape with a mirror so that it spread up the wall. Below is the result:

I really enjoy the result of this image as the clouds are distorted and stretched away from the camera's perspective, giving it a really distanced look. This image was inspired by Ethan Jackson due to him doing similar work with clouds on the ceiling that I thought looked amazing. I also tried to keep the natural tones that Ethan does in his work during the shooting and editing process. As you can see the main colours are white and blue, nothing unnatural. I feel that this gives it a serene and peaceful appearance mirroring that of Ethan's work. 

Overall, I will be continuing to shoot in the style of Ethan Jackson to supplement my work with subjects. These shots will be the ones I use as breaks in my shoot, that show off the beauty of the landscape not jut my subject.