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Gray Matter-Happy Ending, Fumage, Acrylic and Pencil on Paper, 30x22, 2020
it completely. Whether I’m choosing acolor, selecting a material, or reaching fora specific tool, it’s all guided by sensation,not analysis. I let my body lead. I listen toit before I listen to the mind — becausethat’s where truth lives for me.Color plays a central role in my process,and like everything else in my practice, it’sguided by intuition. I don’t plan palettes inadvance — instead, I respond to theenergy or frequency each color emits. It’sa felt experience. I tune into how one hueresonates next to another, how theirvibrations interact, and what kind ofemotional or spatial rhythm they createtogether. The decision to increase orsoften saturation, to place a particularcolor in a certain area, comes from thatenergetic dialogue. It’s almost likecomposing a melody — there’s amusicality in the way color weavesthrough the canvas, building thecomposition through tone, contrast, andharmony.Each time I begin a painting, I have noidea what will unfold. There’s always thatnervous excitement around the first,hesitant steps into the unknown. It’sterrifying, thrilling, and completely alive. Inever begin with a clear destination inmind; I simply trust the process to guideme. And by the end, there’s a deep,undeniable sense of arrival. I have arrivedat a new landscape, not imagined, butreal. A place I couldn’t have reachedwithout surrendering to the uncertainty.Each painting pushes me further than Ithought possible, and with every one, Idiscover something new — not justabout the work, but about myself.I’m passionate about the future of ourcivilization and the urgent need fortransformation — not just externally, butwithin ourselves. My creative process is apractice of presence: learning to trust themoment, to listen to my intuition, and tostay connected to what’s unfolding. ItAntonio Muñiz scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLandPresent Self-PortraitFumage, Acrylic and Pencil on Paper30x22, 2020
allows me to move beyond inheritedpatterns and open space for somethingnew to emerge. I see painting as adynamic meditation — a ritual of release,expansion, and becoming. Through thisact of creation, I continually reconnectwith the part of myself that is alwaysevolving, always reaching for greateralignment and possibility. In sharing myprocess, I hope to encourage others totrust their own unfolding — to makespace for the unknown, and to movewith it rather than resist it.Looking at \"Fountain of Life,\" we'restruck by its dynamic composition andrich interplay of forms and colors. Itfeatures translucent oval shapes thatseem to float among bold strokes ofgreen, yellow, blue, and red, creating asense of both chaos and harmony. Morespecifically, it contains both geometricprecision and spontaneous gesturalmarks. How do you balance structuredelements with moments of creativity,and does this represent somethingmetaphorical in your conception of a\"fountain of life\"?Antonio Muñiz: Balancing precision withspontaneity is something I approachinstinctively. I don’t separate the two inmy mind — I allow them to coexist onthe canvas. In many ways, thatcoexistence mirrors how I experience life.The structured shapes act as anchors orinner scaffolding — sometimes evenbridges that carry me from rapidmovement into stillness. The gestural,expressive marks are my way ofreleasing energy, emotion, memory. It’snot about control versus freedom, butabout integration, and aboutsurrendering to the moment and lettingboth forces speak.You mentioned the translucent ovalshapes — I’ve been painting them forover 25 years. They’re a recurring visuallanguage in my work, and they’reconstantly shape-shifting. They keep meon my toes, as I’m always trying toscapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special EditionSacred SoundFumage, Acrylic, Charcoal and Oil Canvas, 2020
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The Gem, Fumage,Acrylic and Pencil on Paper, 42x30, 2015
understand their purpose within eachpiece. Sometimes they function as portals,helping me move between timelines.Other times, they act as bridges betweenmind, body, and spirit. At times theybecome musical instruments, guiding therhythm and frequency of the composition.And increasingly, I also see them asmirrors — reflective spaces that inviteself-examination, that ask me to seemyself more clearly in the moment ofcreation. Their meaning isn’t fixed; itevolves with the work, and with me.In calling the piece Fountain of Life, I wasthinking about the importance of selfreinvention and the unstoppable flow ofenergy that moves through us. Lifedoesn’t unfold in a straight line. It swirls, itcrashes, it expands and contracts. Thispiece is a reflection of that — a spacewhere tension and harmony live side byside, where everything is moving,transforming, renewing itself. Just like life.In that way, it becomes a celebration ofthe full spectrum of being.We really appreciate your resistance tointellectual decision-making in favor ofintuitive feeling. How do you distinguishbetween the two when you’re in the flowof creating?Antonio Muñiz: I’ve learned to recognizethe difference between thinking andfeeling by how it shows up in my body.When I’m creating, my body feelsexpansive and alive —sometimes I evenfeel my cells vibrating. There’s an ease, asense of trust, even when I don’t fullyunderstand what’s happening yet.Intellectual decision-making, on the otherhand, tends to bring hesitation, secondguessing, or the urge to “figure it out.” Itpulls me out of presence.In the studio, I do everything I can to stayin the body and out of the mind. That’swhy movement, music, and breathworkare so central to my practice — they keepme grounded in sensation. This alsoincludes a lot of dark chocolate, haha. If Istart to overthink, I pause. I breathe. Ilisten. I ask myself: What do I feel rightnow? What wants to come through? Tome, intuition isn’t something mysterious— it’s a form of deep listening, and itbegins in the body. It’s honest. And whenI honor it, the work becomes more alive,more layered, more real. The thinkingcomes later — during reflection, notduring the act of making.You mention that true change can onlycome from within. Do you see yourartwork as a tool for personal healing, oras a broader commentary on how societyapproaches change?Antonio Muñiz: For me, it starts as a toolfor personal healing — absolutely. Myprocess is how I metabolize experience,shed old layers, and reconnect with adeeper part of myself that’s alwaysevolving. Painting helps me stay presentwith change, not as something to fear,but as something necessary and alive. Inthat way, my work is a ritual of selfAntonio Muñiz scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand
liberation, self-discovery, and selfempowerment — a way of reclaiming partsof myself and integrating them more fully.But healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Themore I’ve leaned into this process, the moreI’ve seen how personal transformation canripple outward. I believe the way we relateto change on an individual level directlyaffects how we show up in the world. If weresist inner change, we often project thatresistance externally — in our relationships,our systems, our culture. So yes, while mywork is deeply personal, it also speaks to alarger invitation: to question what we’veinherited, to stay open to the unknown, andto trust the possibility of renewal.In sharing that process through painting, Ihope to create a space where others canreflect on their own relationship to change— not as something abstract, but assomething embodied and real.Light Travel features fluid forms in black,white, and gray against a neutralbackground, creating a sense of movementand rhythm across both panels. Was thiswork influenced by concepts of time,movement, or physical journeys, and howdoes the diptych format enhance thenarrative you're exploring?Antonio Muñiz: Yes, absolutely — LightTravel was deeply influenced by ideas oftime, movement, and energetic shifts. Infact, this painting marked the beginning of arelease period following my motorcycleaccident — a pivotal moment that opened anew chapter in my personal and creativescapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special Edition
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journey. I often think of painting as a kindof internal voyage, and this piece reflectsthat sense of motion through both spaceand consciousness. The fluid forms andtonal range — from black to white to gray— speak to the in-between states we oftenpass through in life: not fixed, butconstantly evolving. There’s a rhythm inthat transition, a pulse that moves acrossboth panels.The diptych format felt essential to thispiece. It mirrors the dualities I wasexploring: light and shadow, body andspirit, stillness and motion. But beyondthat, each panel holds its own role in thenarrative: one serves as an invitation — athreshold into the journey — while theother represents the emergence, theintegration, the result of having movedthrough that space.For me, that emergence felt like reclaimingclarity after a period of darkness — a quietreturn to myself, changed. The spacebetween them becomes its own liminalpause, like a breath between two states ofbeing, or the moment of crossing from onetimeline to another. It speaks to the cyclicalnature of transformation — how endingsand beginnings are always in dialogue.In Light Travel, I wasn’t just interested inphysical movement, but in the unseenforces that carry me: intuition, memory,energy. The work holds those invisiblethreads, and the diptych structure helpscontain that layered, unfolding narrative.Antonio Muñiz scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand
Abstract expressionism has a richhistory in American art. How do you seeyour work in relation to this tradition,and what contemporary influences orpersonal experiences inform theemotional landscape of Light Travel?Antonio Muñiz: Abstract Expressionismis definitely part of the lineage I feelconnected to — not necessarilythrough its aesthetics alone, but morethrough its core values: gesture,spontaneity, emotional intensity, andthe primacy of the body in the act ofpainting. Like the AbstractExpressionists, I’m interested inpainting as a direct channel ofscapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special EditionMuniz The Dawn_Fumage, Enamel and Oil on Canvas 28-x56, 2018 Sold, Chicago
emotion and intuition — as somethingfelt, not explained. But where some ofthat tradition leaned heavily into heroismor chaos, my work seeks a softer, moreintegrated kind of transformation — onethat also makes room for healing,reflection, and presence.Light Travel, in particular, was informedby a personal turning point. Asmentioned, it came after a motorcycleaccident, which initiated a deep processof physical and emotional release. Thatevent became a catalyst for reorientinghow I move through the world. Thepainting holds that energy — a sense ofmotion, of shedding, of re-entering lifewith new sensitivity.Contemporary influences also shape theemotional landscape of my work, fromsomatic practices and energetic healingto music, meditation, and environmentalshifts. I’m less interested in painting ascommentary and more interested inpainting as communion: with the body,the subconscious, and the invisible forcesthat move through me.So while I honor the legacy of AbstractExpressionism, my approach is rooted inpersonal evolution, intuitiveembodiment, and multidimensionalstorytelling. My work exists in that spacebetween worlds — between innerexperience and outer form, between pasttraditions and present transformation.You’ve said that holding on to the pastcan keep you in a loop of recreating pain,and you describe your process as a“journey through time, space, and self,”and we are particularly impressed withyour use of the canvas as a site forpersonal transformation. In particular,you talk about each painting as anarrative, full of scars and memories. DoscapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWAntonio Muñiz Land
you see yourself more as a storyteller ora witness in that process?Antonio Muñiz: Both — but not in thetraditional sense. I don’t come to thecanvas with a story to tell. I don’t startwith a clear narrative or agenda. Thestory emerges as I move through theprocess. In that way, I’m more of awitness — present with what’sunfolding, holding space for what wantsto come through. I listen, I respond, andI follow the energy. It’s an act of deepobservation, of staying with theunknown.But as the piece evolves, somethingshifts. The marks, the gestures, the scars— they begin to hold memory. Theycarry the imprint of transformation. Andat that point, I also become thestoryteller — not by explaining orinterpreting, but by revealing. Thepainting holds the story in its layers, andI become the one who translates itthrough color, form, and movement.I see the canvas as a living document —one that records change in real time.Every mark is part of a language that’sboth personal and universal. And so theprocess asks me to move betweenwitnessing and shaping, surrenderingand creating. It’s a delicate balance —and one that mirrors the way Iexperience life itself.Movement, music, and meditation allplay a role in your creative process. Howdo these practices affect yourscapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special Edition
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relationship with the canvas and thechoices you make while painting?Antonio Muñiz: Movement, music, andmeditation aren’t separate from mypainting practice — they’re woven into it.They help me drop into a state of fullpresence, where the thinking mind quietsand sensation takes the lead. Music setsthe tone — sometimes rhythmic andgrounding, other times ethereal andexpansive — and I let that vibrationmove through my body. Dance andbreathwork open the channels, helpingme move stagnant energy so that whatemerges on the canvas feels honest andalive.Meditation, especially, helps me listenmore deeply — not just to myself, but tothe painting as it unfolds. It createsspaciousness in the process. I’m notrushing to make decisions; I’m sensing,responding. Each brushstroke becomes aresponse to something felt, rather thansomething planned.scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWAntonio Muñiz LandWalking to ParadiseFumage and Oil on Canvas60x48, 2011Notorious AppleFumage and Oil on Canvas24-x20, 2011
These practices bring everything intoalignment — body, intuition, and canvasworking together. In that state, I’m nottrying to control the painting — I’m inconversation with it. And that dialogue iswhat gives each piece its vitality.They also keep me in a state of childlikecuriosity — open, playful, unafraid toscapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special EditionTime Collapses in The Present Moment_Fumage and Oil on Canvas_68-x144-_2013
experiment. That sense of wonder isessential. It keeps the work alive, surprising,and allows for discoveries I could neverreach through planning alone.You are an established artist: since 2017your works have been showcased on manyoccasions. How do you consider the natureof your relationship with your audience?Antonio Muñiz scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand
Considering the move of art fromtraditional gallery spaces to street andonline platforms like Instagram, how, inyour opinion, does this change therelationship with a globalized audience?How do you think of the role of physicalexhibitions versus online presentations inshowcasing your work?Antonio Muñiz: My relationship with theaudience is one of deep respect, but alsoone that’s rooted in honesty and nonexpectation. I don’t create with theaudience in mind; I create from an internalplace. But once the work is complete andshared, it becomes something else — itenters someone else's story. That exchangeis sacred to me. I love when people seesomething in the work that I hadn’tconsciously placed there. It reminds methat the paintings aren’t just about me.They’re about something much bigger,something universal.The move toward online platforms,especially spaces like Instagram, has madeart more accessible and immediate. Itallows for a kind of global conversation —people from all over the world can connectwith the work in an instant. That reach isCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand scape Special EditionMonkey BusinessFumage and Oil on Canvas, 64x52, 2017Swimming in Primary ColorsFumage, Enamel and Oil on Canvas, 64-x52, 2017
scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWAntonio Muñiz LandHeart Skips a BeatFumage and Oil on Canvas, 64x46, 2017
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powerful. But at the same time, digitalplatforms can flatten or compress theexperience. My paintings are deeplyphysical: textured, layered, often large inscale. They carry energy that’s feltdifferently in person. Being in the roomwith the work — standing in front of it,feeling its presence — creates a dialoguethat’s hard to replicate through a screen.The painting in person pulls you inward,then outward again. That sense ofexpansion is difficult to experience throughan image.I see the future of sharing art as hybrid.Online spaces allow for fluidity and reach;physical exhibitions allow for depth andembodiment. Both can coexist. Whatmatters most to me is that the work isreceived in a way that feels alive —whether someone encounters it on theirphone during a quiet moment, or they walkinto a gallery and feel something shiftinside them.Ultimately, I hope that however the work isexperienced, it invites the viewer intothemselves and into a deeper space offeeling, reflection, and presence.We have really appreciated themultifaceted nature of your artisticresearch and before leaving thisstimulating conversation we would like tothank you for chatting with us and forsharing your thoughts, Antonio. Whatprojects are you currently working on, andwhat are some of the ideas that you hopeto explore in the future?Antonio Muñiz: Thank you — I’ve reallyappreciated this conversation as well. Rightnow, I’m in the early stages of a new bodyof work, though it actually feels like severalbodies of work are beginning to emergesimultaneously. I just completed a largediptych titled How I Found My Wings. It is apiece that reflects the long journey throughmultidimensional layers of myself,ultimately arriving at a place of innercompletion, of feeling whole. Movingforward, I sense that the next chapters ofmy practice will be about sharing the toolsand experiences that have supported mealong the way — almost like offering avisual language for transformation,integration, and inner navigation.There’s a pull toward exploring moresculptural forms and installation as well —creating immersive environments that canhold the energy of ritual andtransformation in new ways. I’m alsocurious about collaboration: inviting othervoices, mediums, and disciplines into theconversation. Whether it’s sound,movement, or even scent, I’m interested inexpanding the sensory dimension of mywork and deepening the emotionalresonance for those who experience it.At the heart of everything, though, is thesame impulse — to create from a place ofpresence, to listen deeply, and to trustwhat’s unfolding. The future feels openand alive, and I’m following that threadwith a lot of curiosity and gratitude.Antonio Muñiz scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand
Hello Chris and welcome to LandEscape.Before starting to elaborate about yourartistic production and we would like toinvite our readers to visithttps://www.heartshotphotography.com inorder to get a wide idea about your artisticproduction. We're impressed by thebreadth of your subjects —from life eventsto flowers, animals, landscapes, and evensnowflakes. How do you approach suchdiverse subject matter? More specifically,do you find yourself consciously seekingout certain compositions, lightingconditions, or subjects that you feelembody these emotions, or is it a moreintuitive process that unfolds as you work?Chris Zuber: First off I’d like to thankLandEscape for featuring me, it is apleasure. Ever since I was a small child thereAfter growing up and living in the desert the seasons are subtle with varying levels of brown and largebright blue skies.Oregon and Washington is a playground of ever changing seasons of moss filled forests, ferns and trees oflush greens, yellows and varying colors. The sky can be filled with white fluffy clouds or moody and darkthe next moment. For this collection I have gathered photos from California, Oregon, Washington and mymore recent trip to France.The picture from frozen lake in California was taken over 24 years ago and still today holds up as a greatphotograph. Photographs will show the passage of time and the impact we as humans have on the worldaround us. It is up to us as photographers and artists to capture what is beautiful now and help preservethe history of what was. A flower will only bloom that way one time for instance. I hope to make adifference with my photography in photographing not only the vast beauty that is around us but anappreciation for others to want to keep preserving it.An interview by Josh Ryder, curatorand Melissa C. Hilborn, [email protected] scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLandEscape meetsChris Zuber@HEARTSHOT_PHOTOGRAPHY
scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special EditionForest Grove Or. iPhone 14 Pro, 2023
has always been a camera in the roomcapturing life events both major and small.Every family celebrates somethingwhether it be a birthday, sports events, orgraduation, as do I, but adding to thatcollection are a multitude of additionalpictures that have captured the smallermoments: like a cat curled up on the couchor kids jumping mid air.When I was much younger, someone that Icannot credit, once told me or I read that,“There is always a picture to be had.” Theimage you capture may not be the greatlandscape that you had envisioned whenyou walked out the door. It may be apicture of a beetle on a tree branch thatyou come home with, either way, the mostimportant thing is to be open to otherpossibilities and images. To be present inthat moment, to see and to capture theeveryday beauty that surrounds us all.I look at every photograph and take thetime to look critically at certain elements. Ialso watch other photographers’ channelsand review and read about otherphotographers’ oeuvre. What is it that Icould have done better or what was the“secret sauce” that some otherphotographer employed to make theirphotograph great or captured my gaze? Iwould say that I lay no claim to mastery ofany one element in photography. It is a lifelong learning process. I have theadvantage over some, in that I have beentaking pictures since I was old enough tohold a camera. The other advantage is thatmy father was huge fan of photographyand he taught me much of what I knownow. This has made for a great base ofknowledge that I can build upon. Yes! I’meven comfortable using a camera inmanual mode. Sometimes that is the onlyway to get the shot too. There’s a lot to besaid about fully manual cameras and themanual mode as a best learning tool of all.Photography has become second natureto me. I do though stop and look and thinkbefore I take a picture. Is the compositionright? Are there areas blown out? How am Iapplying depth of field in this photograph?Is my shutter speed okay? Many morethings zip through my brain as I capture animage, so at times it comes as secondnature to me, other times, I choose to bemore critical about it.Your mention of the darkroom evokes asense of nostalgia: are there aspects offilm photography that you stillincorporate or miss in your current work?Chris Zuber: Growing up my dad made anaddition to the house which included adarkroom. The darkroom if you will, wasthe place for me, where all the “magic”happened. Film revealed its capturedimages and prints were created in the dimamber light of the darkroom. Seeing animage develop on the paper was a magicaltreat that todays printing processes do nothave nor does it have the very distinctchemical smell of the darkroom. Thedarkroom for me, was not just a place formaking pictures, it was a quiet place whereI could jam out to my favorite tunes as ateen or young boy. A place where oneChris Zuber scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand
could hide away from the hustle and bustleof the day, where my kids these days playon their phones or computers. It was aplace only a few good friends and I wouldhang out and talk, sometimes making printsof us at night painting light with flashlightsin front of the camera and other times justeating pizza. Printmaking could be veryenergetic at times dodging and burningareas of the photograph. Decent computerskills are needed now along with anunderstanding of the software tools to helpavoid a maddening frustration from settingin. Today I feel like more like a digitalpainter when editing than a printmaker. Thethings that I miss and long to include in myown work space as I build my studio iscreating a space that allows me the abilityto shut away the daily distractions andrecapture the calm and nostalgic feelings ofthe darkroom, minus the chemical smell.Your extensive archive seems to offer aunique perspective on societal evolution.We're particularly intrigued by how yourwork bridges the gap between old and newphotographic techniques and subjects. Thisseems to place you in a unique position tocomment on the evolution of photographyas an art form. How do you view therelationship between traditional andcontemporary photography in your work?Moreover, how do you balance honoringthe techniques and aesthetics of the pastwhile still pushing your art forward intonew territory?Chris Zuber: With traditional or film basedphotography it was for me a great dealharder to mislead or alter the image thatwas either on the film or the scene beforethe camera. As digital technology andcameras have matured it has become easierand easier to create images that are ofscapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special EditionDonner Lake Ca Sony F-717 circa 2000
reality but not in it. From a societal viewpoint it’s fascinating to see how our use ofeveryday items has changed over time.Case in point are our camera’s of today.Nearly ubiquitous now that was not alwaysthe case. With film taking time to bedeveloped and limited number of framesper roll. Though more easily transportablethan its predecessor the glass plate. Digitalcameras have changed just aboutChris Zuber scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand
everything about photography. When Icapture a family portrait now, I may take300-500 images in hopes of getting one ortwo images where everyone is looking atthe camera and smiling, I would havenever done that with film. However withscapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special EditionGreen Escape, Cape Kiwanda State Park Or. iPhone X, 2019
Chris Zuber scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLanddigital it’s easy to delete. The same can besaid of a number of items that we use in orcontemporary lives.My photographs I would say are 90%reality. In that I may alter color tones. Imay remove light posts or other elementsthat would make the composition strongeror more appealing. As a general rule onecan stand in the same spot as I did andtake a nearly identical photo. I want topromote and share photographicknowledge. I want to share with others myknowledge on how to repair an image,when the heal tool doesn’t do the trick.How to share the before and after of aphoto. What did we gain and what did welose in the shifting of technology, it seemstrivial and in some cases it is. I have for myown personal edification pushed imagesand editing well beyond limits of goodtaste and those who are close to me haveon occasion seen those images butgenerally they score low on the oooh ahhhscale and never see the light of day, moreoften they find themselves in the bin. Iwant to represent what is around us andbeautiful, you just have to look. We do notneed artificial intelligence to find a pictureand to enhance its image we need artistswith the imagination to take what I call aheart shot.Your appreciation for Oregon's beauty isevident. We'd love to hear more abouthow the Pacific Northwest's uniqueenvironment has shaped yourphotographic style. In particular, how hasthe relocation from California to Oregoninfluenced your work, especially the visualand atmospheric differences between thetwo states? We're curious about how thespecifics of the environments have
Windmill, Moro Or, iPhone 14 Pro, Oct 2023
impacted your photographic style andsubject choices.Chris Zuber: My lived experience in theMojave Desert is that the seasons are verysubtle there. Life in the desert does existbut not obviously as abundant as it is in thePacific Northwest. The desert offered vastshades of brown with hints of green. Thesky was blue for months with not a cloudto be found. Oregon particularly west of thecascades are lush and green with welldefined seasons. Having now lived in theGreater Portland area for about the sameamount of time as I did in Apple Valley,California, I would say that for me, I find agreater diversity of things to photograph inthe Pacific Northwest, things that we didn’thave in the desert such as barns. My fatherand I have a huge fondness for barns, wescapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special EditionBeach boy, Kauai Hi, Olympus OM-1 75-300mm, Dec 2022
just love them, you just don’t have them inthe desert! Barns are new and exotic to mestill to this day and remind me of my dad,who now sadly is not here any more toshoot photographs with. I still take picturesand think “Wow, dad would really like thisone.”We are particularly impressed with yourability to capture the beauty in everydaysubjects like flowers and spider webs.How do personal experiences shape yourwork?Chris Zuber: I think personal experiencesreally shape how we see and experiencethe world around us. I am of the opinionthat as we experience more life we cometo appreciate the different views of theworld around us all. The viewpoint of theChris Zuber scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLandSurfer, Kalihiwai Beach, Kauai Hi, Olympus OM-1 75-300mm, Dec 2022
Tremendous Oak, Hillsboro Or, Olympus OM-1 12-40mm, Nov 2022
ten year old me is vastly different from thenow fifty year old me and I would like tothink that this reflects in my artwork aswell. Ten year old or even 16 year old mewould have never seen or taken the timeto photograph a spiders web with dewupon it. Now I think it’s a beautiful treathiding in plain sight begging to bephotographed. I also have grown to have afondness in my photography for the everchanging colors of rust and what it doeswhen exposed to the elements.Your connection to the natural world asevident in your work. How do you preparefor a photography session in nature, andwhat challenges do you face in capturingthe perfect shot in outdoor settings?Chris Zuber: My wife and partner in crime,Triesta, tells me that I’m very methodicalwhen it comes preparation for aphotography session. From charging all mybatteries the night before, making surethat I have some sort of snack in mycamera bag, and mapping out thesurrounding area of the session. Ireligiously wear long pants of some typeand have a bottle of water with me too.Even though I have an idea of where I’mgoing often I end up off trail and in themiddle of nowhere taking pictures. Imostly prefer zoom lenses with the lowestaperture that I can afford becausephotographing on a cliff edge usually doesnot allow for much wiggle room. Lenscloths and multifunction tools areessential. Over the years I have made it ahabit to carry an infrared filter with me tooscapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand Special Edition
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because if the light is just too harsh, thiscan make for an interesting and spookyinfrared photo occasionally. The biggestchallenge isn’t the light or keeping youreyes open, it’s Murphy’s Law. If thingscan go wrong make sure you are preparedfor every possible scenario. I would say Ihave a ready bag with camera equipmentmuch like other people might have anemergency preparedness kit. My camerabag and gear is ready to go with amoments notice, just in case there is aphotograph to be had.We're particularly impressed with theartistic legacy you're cultivating withinyour family. Your journey from learningphotography from your father to nowseeing your son engage in yearbookphotography at Glencoe High Schoolspeaks to a remarkable generationalcontinuity. Could you share your thoughtson this family tradition? We'd beespecially interested to hear how you'veapproached nurturing your son's interestin photography, and whether you seesimilarities or differences in his approachcompared to your own early experiences.Additionally, how do you see theevolution of photographic techniques andstyles from your father's time to now, andwhat elements do you believe remaintimeless?Chris Zuber: I think a really well composedphotograph is hard to beat. My son’sjourney into photography began similar tomine in that we were both very youngwhen we started. My father’s story of hisChris Zuber scapeCONTEMPORARY ART REVIEWLand
Liquid Web, Oregon, Olympus OM-1 60mm, Jul 2022