Bryce Charlie's rye soaked images manage to perfectly capture the energy and chaos of the live music
Bryce Charlie is a Renaissance man. A writer, photographer and all around creative genius, he challenges us to think about what art means in this digital age. In a world full of images manipulated by computers, he manages to take a toy camera and some booze and create photos that no software program can replicate. You can feel the energy, hear the sound and smell the cigarette smoke and sweat when you view these pictures. They are more than images, they are a sensory experience. We are thrilled he contributed work to ALTER/ANALOG!
Bryce is on instagram at @b.d.charlie
1. These images are incredible. How were they created?
Awww shucks. You're making me blush.
They were all shot with a Diana Mini, a little plastic half frame from the fine folks at Lomography, using cheap 400 iso film.
The Diana comes with this goofy look'n detachable flash that perfectly fits in one hand. So what I do is hold the flash in one, the camera in the other.
Shoot on Bulb. Hold down the release. Really drag that shutter, then fire that flashbulb with the intent to blind the subject. That's how the magic happens.
Once the roll is full I soup it in Royal Reserve. Which is this cheap rye whiskey they got up here in Canada that makes you fight cops.
I use to drink it by the mickey back when I fancied myself a tough young punk. What's crazy is that souping the film in R&R seems to mess with it in such a way that captures the vibe of what it felt like going to show back then - Fun loving. Dangerous. Life or death.
2. The process and the subject matter go perfectly together. Did you go into shooting these photos knowing how well the process would work with the photos?
God no. There's not a lot of control over it.
What I'm trying to do with my work is dig for the truth of a moment.
Or at least what feels true to me about the moment. The process is stripped down. Cutting out all the nonsense and distracts. Allowing me to fully be there - taking it in. I think that's why the work turns out good.
3. You are a prolific creative. You are a writer, the founder behind CHUMP and a photographer. Do you have any other projects in the works?
Snap. You make me sound legit.
Hmmm. Well, there's that run of pop-up shows that CHUMP is putting on with ALTER/ANALOG. I'm really stoked on that.
Also, CHUMP just got some sponsorship through Lomography as well as Revolog. Which is allowing for us to put out a full magazine. Maybe magazine isn't the right word for it. I'm not sure what to call it, but it's going to be rad.
Outside of my work with CHUMP, I'm currently putting together a collection of my work. A small run book. A little something to close out my time living in Edmonton before moving out to Montreal at the end of the summer.
4. We love CHUMP so much. Can you tell the readers about it?
And we love you :)
If I was to give one of those elevator pitches to some $750-blue-jean-wearing-silicon angel investor I would say that:
CHUMP is One part art. Two parts hooliganism. A print publication that stands against the digital nonsense of the modern times.
The truth is I'm not really sure what CHUMP is. It's mainly a bastard lovechild flailing about all hopped up on black coffee. It's created with my creative partner Ryan Thomas, and is held to account by our wonderful copyeditor Lindsey R.N. It's this bizarro art project that has let us meet a bunch of truly wonderful humans from around the world and work with some crazy good artists.
I guess for me CHUMP is a "fuck you" to the deep sense of loneliness that I think is easy to slip into in these modern times, where so much of our interactions are done through screens. With CHUMP we're just trying to make work that is human.
If you want to check it out, drop us a line: chumpzine@gmail.com
We'll send you a copy, on us, by post.
You'll just have a moral obligation to mail us a letter or something in return.