Susan Huber

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biography

Susan Huber was born in Pensacola, Florida and grew up in a succession of highly photogenic settings before settling in yet another: Saltspring Island, B.C.

Her memories include the apple orchards surrounding her family's heritage home on a Rhode Island sheep farm, as well as the seaside vistas of Carmel, California. It was on the beach in Carmel, as a fourteen-year-old, that Ansel Adams spied her taking pictures with the pre-war Rolleicord she had purchased from a local camera store -- a replacement for the "Brownie" she had received at eleven. He later viewed her prints and encouraged her to pursue her dreams, becoming a familiar visitor to her family home.

During her last year of secondary school her family moved to Mexico for what she remembers as "five glorious art-filled years," during which she obtained a Bacc. in Pre-Medicine before returning to California where she completed a B. Sc. degree in Physical Therapy, with a minor in Fine Arts at CSFU-Fresno.

It was here that she joined a group of fellow photography enthusiasts and mounted her first exhibition at Steve Dzerigian's "Photosynthesis" gallery in Fresno. His influence soon saw her purchasing a rickety "baby" 4 by 5 inch Deardoff camera, her introduction to the large format photography that moves and inspires her to this day.

She soon embarked on a collaboration with photographers in the Monterey Bay area and enrolled in a course given by the renowned California photographer Robert Dawson who became her mentor. These classes provided the groundwork for her experimentation with traditional and alternative processes. Seminal moments occurred while viewing the albumen prints of 19th century photographers such as Eugene Atget, Eduoard Baldus, and Charles Marville. 

Political awareness emerged during this period as well. Her class worked together (successfully) to mount a San Francisco photography exhibition meant to discourage L.A. Power from draining Mono Lake, a large, saline soda lake in Mono County California, and a prime bird habitat.

Workshops with photographer Linda Connors encouraged her to begin exploring the use of an 8 by 10 inch camera in order to produce larger contact prints. Soon, Susan contacted camera-maker R.H. Phillips and had her own large format camera constructed for her. It remains her primary camera to this day.

Susan Huber's work can be found in private collections in Europe, North America, South America and Russia.

where to see or read more

shows: Susan is represented by Luz Gallery in Victoria, BC.

web: Visit Susan's website for more images and info.

contact Susan Huber

email: susan.huber@shaw.ca

artist statement

My photography is influenced by the films of Kurosawa, by Walker Evans, Edward Weston and Wynn Bullock, and all of the 19 Century photographers whose work transformed the "mundane" into magic. I work to capture the mysteries inherent in all landscapes, the quirky undertones and enigmas, while leaving space for the viewer to interpret such things themselves. I have found that children often sense these inherent mysteries more quickly than adults, perhaps because they are less guarded, closer to nature, and still agreeable to the idea of magic.

I am inspired by large format photography and 19 Century processes. Depth and warmth of color are evoked in the use of albumen prints, more so than with traditional silver gelatin process. A conscious decision to achieve these variable tones caused me to gravitate towards silver chloride printing-out papers such as AZO and POP exposed via a split-back printing frame, in sunlight.

Using large format ensures the sort of contemplative approach that I'm after; a quiet time with the mind that appeals to my methods as an artist.

As for content, I am drawn toward visions of historical relationships between indigenous peoples and European settlers as reflected in the lands where they lived and died, and where their presence still abides. Simple landscapes are steeped in symbolism, and raw sophistication. The ghosts of complex histories and uncertain futures still wander there. 

When I load up my car and head off in pursuit of unknown projects I am aware of myself as a traveler through present landscapes, yes. But the eye of my camera lingers on the past.

Susan Huber - photographer

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