Visiting Carmel-By-The-Sea two years ago, we strolled leisurely past the windows of the small shops, enjoying the spring afternoon and the quiet, ordered elegance that is uniquely Carmel. Turning down a side-street, we entered Photography West, home to Adams, Weston, Caponigro and other masters of the black and white print. Surprisingly, what both of us remember most from that day is how enchanted we were by another photographer whose work we viewed for the first time, Christopher Burkett.

Viewing a Christopher Burkett print is like seeing Creation on the first mid-morning of the first day. Standing before one of his 20x24" or 30x40" prints can lead to an epiphany, an experience that carries with it a fresh, emotional and imaginative way of seeing nature and photography anew. Some skeptics, upon first viewing Burkett's work, wonder if he uses digital enhancement to bring out the luminescent colors and rich tonality of his prints. He doesn't.

*Twilight, Virgin River and Zion Canyon, Utah, 1987*

Each work is painstakingly hand-printed from an original 8"x10" transparency. Burkett earned the ability to create such prints the long way and his journey to a position of international acclaim and growing visibility as one of the world's premier color photographers and printmakers began in a rather curious manner, in a place of contemplation and of quiet, inconspicuous service.

In the 1970's Burkett was a brother in a Christian order when he became interested in photography as "a means of expressing the grace, light and beauty" he witnessed in nature. His initial format was black and white and he purchased his supplies from the small allowance given him by the order.

“I started out in black and white. I was still in the order when I started photography and I had five dollars a week. So I did black and white. Black and white is a good place to start even if you’re going to end up in color. I started with 2 1/4. I ended up leaving the order to pursue my photography. Then I started thinking about color. I realized that they are such different mediums that I had to concentrate on one or the other because in order to really work effectively you have to work within the parameters of that small box we mentioned. So I set all my work out and looked at it as a group and what I saw with the color was that there was more exuberance. The sense of vitality that I felt was better conveyed in color than black and white. I love black and white photography. It’s extraordinary. But to me, some of that getting-your-hands into life feeling is all about color. ”

In 1979 Burkett left the order, married his wife, Ruth, and began devoting himself full-time to color photography. He apprenticed in the offset printing business, learning to operate four-color presses and laser scanners. The knowledge gained during this time, years spent learning the fundamental principles involved in reproducing color and tone, gradually evolved into a mastery of the sophisticated art of printing in color.

*Wild Red Maple and Fog, New Hampshire, 1989*

Today, elements from the journey - his years as a member of a Christian order, his apprenticeship as an offset printer, his decades-long pursuit of an understanding of color and color printing - infuse both his view of photography as a means of seeing the world anew as well as the striking Cibachrome prints hanging in galleries around the world. In the midst of a cynical culture, Burkett's vision blows through like a wave of clear, fresh mountain ai

“Photography is an expression of the world we live in and of what we see and experience. Many contemporary photographs seem filled with negativity and warped, malignant things. That these negative things and perceptions exist now for a time in the world with us is indisputable, but I feel strongly that there is no need to give life and strength to them. Too often, attempting to represent the sacred in nature is maligned as being naive or simplistic, and is said to be unchallenging and visually unsophisticated. This need not be so.”

Burkett's work is appealing to a growing list of admirers and collectors. Today (Sept 98), at Photography West, several of his prints occupy nearly all of the largest wall. Only Ansel Adams and the Weston's, each of whom has their own small rooms, are given more prominent treatment.

Currently, there are eighteen galleries that carry Burkett's work, including one of the most storied of all, the Ansel Adams Gallery in The Village Mall, Yosemite National Park, www.anseladams.com

At the time of this writing, Chris and Ruth were preparing to attend an opening of his work at The Alinder Gallery in Gualala, California (alindergallery.com). A full listing of galleries plus a wide selection of his prints and additional information can be found at his website: christopherburkett.com.

“The fine print is much more than a mere reproduction of an image. It is the culmination of the inspiration and vision of the photographer. It is the clearest, most direct and powerful form of the image, and has the ability to move beyond words, ideas, and concepts to touch and move the viewer in the most direct and immediate way. In its highest form, the fine print can be a transparent vehicle, boldly communicating with whispers and suggestions of worlds previously unseen and unknown.”No other form of the image can convey as powerfully the subtleties, the presence and the luminosity which can exist in the fine print. The fine print is, in actuality, the culmination of the photographic creative process; each print can legitimately be considered an original work of art.”

— Christopher Burkett, from Photographic Printing, www.christopherburkett.com

I believe, in hindsight, the thing we saw in Christopher Burkett's prints that spring afternoon two years ago is identical to what many are discovering now that his work is becoming widely available - a sense of the transcendent, of service to ideals greater than the mere exposing of particles on film. Get to know his work. In time, purchase a print to enhance your home. Perhaps you'll discover, as we did, the wonder of creation through the camera and printing mastery of a visual poet.

“The world untouched and undefiled by man is one of indescribable beauty and wonder: a world filled with light and peace. The miracle of life unfolds before our eyes, and is seen in the tapestry of creation. All of our world, each living cell, every stone and drop of water, even the air and light around us, reflects and mirrors the glory and presence of the Creator and calls us to respond with wonder and praise.”

The Visual Poetry of Christopher Burkett

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