Make Art: David Rehor, Artist at Home
David is an M.F.A. candidate at Radford University who takes beautiful, ethereal photographs in which he encourages both the subjects in the photos and those who view them to interact with light and become participants in his art. David has agreed to teach some photography classes for the Fine Arts Center in the coming year in our Second Saturday Adult Class series. Check out our schedule and sign up when the classes become available.
In my photography, I’m influenced by the light itself. It’s my main subject. I’m really interested in portraiture but my main goal is to explore the organic qualities of light. The people or the environment in my photos are secondary to the light.
I actually go out at night when I can control the light better and apply light to my subject in different ways. I use handheld lights and sometimes have my subjects also participate. So they’re participants in the photographs.
Ultimately, to exhibit my work, I want to create intimate light boxes to illuminate the work. I’m also working on making large prints that are on transparency film that can be sandwiched between large panels of plexiglass. These large panels can bend and be shaped a bit so they are more sculptural. This, along with the light boxes, are the focus of my thesis. My goal is to do something with the lights using the same kind of subject matter.
I’m also working on stop-motion animation by animating this kind of work. I’m trying to paint or write with light. To do that I’m using longer exposures to capture the changing light, and there may be a little motion. When I do this, the light is more ethereal and ghostly. Then I try to animate those together. It's a meticulous process but one I hope is worth it in the end.
Art is important to me because I have to explore my thought process. I have to explore my feelings about photography and how I see images in my head. I daydream about these things, then I try to bring them to light. These experiences are important to me. They’ve made me who I am. I want to share it with other people.
Throughout history there’s always been some debate about whether photography is art. I’m not too concerned about that. I want people to be immersed in imagery. My goal is for people to have a physical experience, not just to view a photograph on a wall, but to experience images more three dimensionally in a darkened room. I want them to be a participant. In that way it’s like installation art. People’s interactions with it are a part of the art.
We’re all artists in some way. If you want to make art, you don’t have to travel to exotic places to find inspiration. You can find it right in your own backyard, or your living room. That’s true of many artists. Don’t feel like you need to do something exotic when inspiration can be right behind you. It’s a way of seeing and appreciating the things you have and understanding there are things you possess that can be seen in a beautiful and interesting way.
Most people are collectors whether they know it or not. We collect things through our lives. Sometimes people collect things but don’t realize why. What it means. Art helps you understand why you collect memories and physical objects to help you remember. It all comes down to what’s meaningful to you.
Try this: find those things that interest you. Organize your collections. You don’t have to a scientist. Organize it in a way that’s meaningful to you, then go back and reassess. Look at where you’ve been, where you’re at, and where you’re headed. When people do that they find out so much about themselves.
You can find out more about David and view more of his photographs at his website rehorphoto.com or follow him on Instagram @rehorphoto.