Ernie LaPointe the Great Grandson of Sitting Bull in Wet Plate
Ernie LaPointe, the Great Grandson of Sitting Bull, my dear friend captured in the historic wet plate collodion process of pure silver on glass. The plate with his drum is called “Oka Wicasa” which translates in Lakota as “Singer”. Native American drummers are called singers in their culture. These two plates represent the last plates that I will ever make in my original makeshift studio. Ernie is sitting in the same chair he did so many years ago when I took my first plate of a him. Ernie is where it all began for my “Northern Plains Native Americans: A Modern Wet Plate Perspective” series.
8x10”’black glass ambrotypes, f4.5, Carl Zeiss Tessar 3 lens, 11 seconds of exposure, continuous fluorescent lights.
As of January 2018, the Heard Museum in Arizona, the world leader in Native American Art has requested the original plate "Singer" for their collection. Ernie and I are very proud of this request and the original black glass ambrotype will be donated to them on our behalf.
"Who Will Stop Us?" Michael Foster Keystone Pipeline Valve Turner
“Who Will Stop Us”, a Wet Plate of Michael Foster. Mr. Foster is the valve turner who shut down the Keystone Pipeline last year in Pembina County for 7 hours. This week he is facing upwards of 22 years imprisonment if found guilty.
The oil company calls him an eco-terrorist, some would call him a martyr. You can read his story by my friend Christopher Hagen.
http://hpr1.com/index.php/feature/news/bolt-cutters-and-chrysanthemums/
http://hpr1.com/index.php/feature/news/a-valve-turners-trial-mostly-guilty/
"Study of a Blacksmith's Downward Hammer Strike" in Wet Plate with Steve Schirber
"Study of a Blacksmith's Downward Hammer Strike", with Steve Schirber, in honor of Eadweard Muybridge.
8x10" black glass ambrotype a in the historic wet plate collodion process of pure silver on glass. Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f4.5, 12 seconds of exposure, continuous fluorescent lighting, NO flash.
Charles Recountre "Not Afraid to Look" DAPL Captured in Wet Plate
Charles Rencountre, "Medicine Horse", Kul Wicisa Oyate, for my series "Northern Plains Native Americans: A Modern Wet Plate Perspective". 8x10" black glass ambrotype in the historic process of pure silver on glass.
"Not Afraid to Look" is a large 8' tall cement sculpture that Charles created at Standing Rock during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests last year. Incidentally it is the only thing still standing at the Camp of the Sacred Stone. It was a true honor to have this important artist into my studio. He brought a maquette of the original work with him and it was important for us to feature it in his wet plate.
https://www.ecowatch.com/standing-rock-not-afraid-to-look-2107100951.html
August 21st, 2017 Solar Eclipse Captured in Wet Plate Collodion
Solar Eclipse, August 21st, 2017 at 12:32pm, captured in the historic wet plate collodion process of pure silver on glass. 7" round glass black ambrotype, f45, <1 second of exposure with manual lens cap, Carl Zeiss 360mm lens.
A solar eclipse is very significant in the Native American culture and is held with high regard. On August 7th, 1869 a total eclipse was well documented, below is the blog post of my friend Tonweya Tokaheya (Dakota Goodhouse).
http://thefirstscout.blogspot.com/2017/08/eclipse-is-time-for-prayer-and.html