John Lake 

My work generally gravitates towards the esoteric and spiritual, but always in dialog with the fundamentals of photographic practice. I believe in stretching the imaginative use of photography to new and creative ends through structural narratives, experimental methodologies, and relatable content. The struggle is always to bring about work that connects to questions of consciousness using the inherent democratic medium of photography.  

I use film, appropriated, and digital photography as well as many DIY materials and techniques to produce photographic installations, books, and sculptures. My work generally draws from spiritual belief systems, questions of truth and knowledge, and the everyday human experience. At times, it also comes into dialog with the fields of urban studies, visual and cultural studies, sociology, art history, avant-garde music, and experimental forms of poetry.

Lately, due to relocating and focusing on finishing existing projects, my work has been in a new state of dynamic change and I hope to find new directions and outlets for expanding ideas. I’ve been a musician and performer since I was a child, but only have a few short 16mm performances that I have produced. I hope to find ways of exploring performance and the moving image, and integrating it into my current installation and photographic practice. Likewise, I hope to more deliberately tap into my background in academic research, urban theory, visual studies, and experimental geography to create work exploring cities, people, and development.