Colton Fazzio-Henderson's instant photo wonderland
When one see's Colton Henderson's Polaroid photos blown up, hanging in a gallery space, they are mind-blowing. A unique blend of pop culture, graffiti, and old school photographic skill, they are totally unique in the Denver art scene. Following is Colton's bio in his own words:
"My name is Colton Fazzio - Henderson. I am a 27 year old artist, currently living in Denver, Colorado. I was born in Denver and grew up on a family ranch in Larkspur, Colorado. I attended the University of Colorado - Denver, Firenze University of the Arts (Italy) and finished school at the Savannah College of Art and Design with a Bachelor’s Degree in Photography.
I have had my work shown at the Lee O’Neil Gallery (Savannah, Georgia), the Elizabeth Dow Gallery (East Hampton, NY) and Grey Projects (Los Angeles, California). In addition, I have had my work published by different magazines such as Jute Fashion Magazine, Fecal Face Dot Com Gallery, Nakid Magazine, C-41 Magazine and Baltisoul Magazine.
After college, I moved back to Denver to pursue my own clothing line, Coltality Limited."
You can see more of Colton's work on instagram at @coltality and online at https://www.coltality.com
ALTER/ANALOG: How did you get your start in photography?
CH: I became attracted to art and photography, specifically, when I was 18 years old as a freshman at the University of Colorado - Denver. I had no idea what I wanted to pursue until taking a philosophy course that opened my mind to different directions I could go. I enrolled in a beginner dark room course and was immediately hooked! The rest is sort of history !
ALTER/ANALOG: What made you gravitate toward instant film?
CH: Instant film or polaroids were really the last camera I picked up. I had been pursuing photography in undergrad for three or four years already. I had learned how to use basically every other type of camera and had grown an appreciation for the functions of a camera. Also, by this time, I had started to develop my own style and really leaned towards an aesthetic that favored a “snapshot” type of approach. My grandma had an old polaroid in her closet and gave it to me around this time as a present.
The instant film was perfect for my style because it has that old school feel, also, I was getting good at framing images, which the polaroid forces you to do considering there is only 8 images in a pack.
All of these things combined added to a great combination for me and what I wanted to do with photography.
ALTER/ANALOG: How were these images created?
CH: These images were created first through the use of my Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera, using a flash late at night hanging around people who were enjoying themselves. The collages were made from scanning the polaroid and using my stream of conscious I would add words and paint to the original image.
ALTER/ANALOG: Tell us more about your clothing line.
CH: My clothing line is name Coltality Limited., which was formed by combining the words “Colton’s Reality”. Right now, I, am starting off simple with white tees and black tees. The shirts are printed using a direct to garment digital printer. In the future I hope to expand to other items of clothing and fabrics. Currently, I am building an e-commerce site for the brand where people would be able to purchase items online. This should be available to the public within a month. Currently the shirts are being sold at Spectra Art Space in Denver or through request to me via instagram (@coltality).