"Dignity" Native American Statue in Chamberlain South Dakota Captured in Wet Plate
The statue “Dignity” captured in the historic wet plate collodion process of silver on glass.
I will be making prints and cabinet cards available to raise funds for the American Indian College Fund. I will also be donating the original plate to the South Dakota State Historical Society. Representative Tamara St. John from South Dakota was on hand to show support for this effort.
Dignity is a sculpture on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River near Chamberlain, South Dakota. The 50-foot high stainless steel statue by South Dakota artist laureate Dale Claude Lamphere depicts an Indigenous woman in Plains-style dress receiving a star quilt.
Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f8, 2 seconds of exposure, 8x10” black glass ambrotype.
"Telesilla In Stone" Wet Plate Collodion with Angie Kambeitz
"Telesilla In Stone" with Angie Swiec Kambeitz, in the historic wet plate collodion process of silver on glass.
Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f4.5, 9 seconds of exposure, natural light through Northern facing windows and skylights. 8x10" black glass ambrotype at Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio, Bismarck, North Dakota. Styling by Kary Janousek and Abby Balkowitsch.
"Girl With Virus" During COVID-19 Pandemic Wet Plate Collodion by Shane Balkowitsch
"Girl With Virus" with my daughter Alyvia Jean Balkowitsch, captured in the historic wet plate collodion process of silver on glass, inspired by the work of Banksy. She turned 9 years old yesterday.
Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f4.5, 10 seconds of exposure, 8x10" black glass ambrotype, natural light through Northern facing windows and skylight. The virus prop was kindly provided to us by Greg Gerla in Canada.
"Girl with Virus" with my daughter Alyvia was projected on a wall in Los Angeles late last night. This is what kindness and thoughtfulness looks like during a pandemic. My friend and fellow photographer Stephen Levey did this for my daughter's birthday after finding out she could not have a party. These are trying times for us all, but let us all be reminded of the small things we can do for each other to make a difference in each other's lives. Alyvia could not have a real birthday party because of the pandemic, but now she has this. It needs to be said that Stephen and I have never met, we just have a profound appreciation for each other's work.
What I find very poignant about this projection is that Banksy started with his graffiti on walls, this image was inspired by him and now this inspiration is back on a wall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aepRZlMIIRE
https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/coronavirus-inspires-bismarck-photographer/
"Demeter Awakens" Wet Plate Collodion by Shane Balkowitsch with Carlee Gifford
"Demeter Awakens" with Carlee Gifford, a diptych in the historic wet plate collodion process of pure silver on glass. A collaboration with Rachael TreeTop from Crabapple Floral.
Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f4.5, 11 seconds of exposure, 8x10" black glass ambrotype, natural light through Northern facing windows and skylight bolstered by one continuous fluorescent fixture, at Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio, Bismarck, North Dakota.
"Columbus Landed, Columbus Fell" Wet Plate Collodion to Take Back Columbus Day
“Columbus Landed, Columbus Fell”, with Allan Demaray and Lance Loken, wet plate collodion.
“Indigenous people north and south were displaced, died of disease, and were killed by Europeans through slavery, rape, and war. In 1491, about 145 million people lived in the western hemisphere. By 1691, the population of indigenous Americans had declined by 90-95 percent, or by around 130 million people." - Wikipedia
This wet plate is my attempt to address the genocide that has occurred in North America since Christopher Columbus landed on August 3rd, 1492.
Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f4.5, 10 seconds of exposure, 8x10" black glass ambrotype using natural light through Northern facing windows and skylights at Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio, Bismarck, North Dakota.
https://msumadvocate.com/2020/03/06/i-killed-columbus/
