BIO:David Duchow: Born: October 1949, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Self-trained in traditional photographic practice, I have been photographing and exhibiting since 1969, in Canada and internationally.
My early influences were the artists, poets and musicians in my family. Musical influences that counterpoint my visual interests: Bach, Haydn, Miles Davis, The Church band and Steve Kilbey.
The Digital Age: I got into digital imaging (and out of the eco-unfriendly darkroom) in the late 1990’s. My images are sometimes bold, heroic and “loud” ; sometimes quiet, reserved and contemplative… a little like passages from a Mozart symphony…. or a Church band record. Whether it is an image that once was architectural in nature, or something more organic, or a street scene, each image is digitally treated, or altered; rendered into something else…. often, something surreal.
Alters of worship: I see some of my images as alters, at which one can “worship”, visually – to the imaginary gods of Rorschach. Symmetry is a considerable element in my work.
In 2001 I was getting back into some visual work after a hiatus. I had taken some self-portraits. Then September 11 happened, and these self-portraits took on a different tone. Simultaneously, I heard Steve Kilbey’s reading of Rimbaud’s poem, Season in Hell. It didn’t take long to connect the images with the recitation. I made the video “Season in Hell – A Self Portrait”… partly in reaction to September 11. This video will be shown as part of the exhibition Rimbaudmania: in Paris: at the Bibliotheqe Historique de la Ville de Paris, from April 11 to July 15 2010 and in Charleville (Rimbaud's hometown): at the Rimbaud museum , from September 15th to December 15th 2010. Click here to go to the Season in Hell - A Self Portrait video page.
Subsequent to this I made a number of videos to the Church band and Steve Kilbey music, using dissolving stills. Steve and Tim Powles, of The Church band saw this work and asked if they could use my images as backdrops during Church band concerts. One of the early gigs was at the Sydney Opera House in July 2003.
In 2004 I did a video of “Sanskrit”, by Isidore (for Steve and Jeffrey Cain). In August 2008 Steve commissioned me to make videos for his Painkiller album and these images were displayed as backdrops for his Painkiller Australian tour.
BIO:
David Duchow: Born: October 1949, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
