CHRISTIAN PATTERSON
Sound Affects
Artist's Statement
"My work is created through active exploration and discovery in my everyday life. I rely heavily on personal encounters that inspire a spontaneous photographic response. My inspiration begins with a certain unconscious familiarity, formed by a vague memory of past experiences, and shaped by an imagination and desire to empathize with my surroundings. I believe that a person, place, or thing can display a personality or show an emotion. A glowing neon sign, a mud puddle, or a passing cloud...each of these communicates human feeling. When I take a photograph, it is an understanding and acknowledgement of this."
"I was first attracted to Memphis because of its unique and influential role in American popular culture, and particularly its music. I have spent the past two years exploring the city of Memphis, discovering its hidden places and listening to its music. I take pictures with very little planning or structure. But one thing that has consistently influenced me and defined my work is the musicality and rhythm of life here. It reverberates beyond the city and affects perceptions of our world. The sound that comes from this one place provides a soundtrack to our lives."
"The photographs in ‘Sound Affects’ were made at barbecue joints, dive bars, liquor stores, parties, and everyday locations including laundromats, supermarkets, and my own home. The moments I captured are unmistakably musical: the lighting may be soft, the colors sometimes loud. There is also a more elusive, underlying musicality that I found. These moments are compelling but ultimately fleeting, until they are captured on film."