Carr assumes the responsibility of photographing a different perspective that requires the viewer to look down and stop moving , and that is where the real journey begins .
Carr photographs puddles , or rather , the refl ections captured in puddles . It sounds so simple , but therein lies the complexity . The resulting images are not altered in any way . Photoshop and Lightroom have no place in the process . The photographs are not edited , tweaked , or fi ltered through any digital program . The images are analog in the best possible way , like vinyl is to music recordings . There is a raw , organic quality about his work that entices and allows the viewer to actively participate , much like Alice through her looking glass .
Photographing a puddle is much like photographing a mirror , and the refl ection is the focal point . In Carr ’ s case , the “ mirror ” is water collected in some sort of shape . It is an imperfect mirror , not only collecting water , but also detritus . The trace amounts of oil , or the cigarette butts , or the tiny weeds struggling to grow through cracks in the pavement are all imperfections playing a vital role in each photographic story and are just as important as the refl ection itself .
Water Tower , photograph
In Carr ’ s 2015 piece , Oil Slick Walk Among the Clouds , the refl ection of a robin ’ s egg blue sky and cottony white clouds is merely the fi rst layer and the beginning to this piece ’ s story . The sky and clouds are set on a background of rough asphalt , its texture emphasized by the automotive oil also contained in the puddle . Oil and water may not mix , but in this case , they are complicit in transforming this puddle into a window to another dimension .
By photographing a refl ection of the sky in an oil-infused puddle , this piece takes the viewer on an adventure fi t for an astrophysicist . Beyond the sky , the texture of the oil-covered asphalt suggests stars scattered through the heavens . The streaks of oil in blues , purples , and greens are reminiscent of galaxies , or nebulae seen through a space telescope . This surreal image came about naturally , through the meeting of water and oil collected in a pothole . But it was Chris Carr the artist , the creative , who stopped , looked down , and documented this glimpse into deepest space .
Carr wholeheartedly accepts that everyday life can be more surreal than real , and that there are clues to support his theory in puddles everywhere . He believes his photographs “ evoke the idea of two worlds , colliding in one image , all brought together from one small view .” And for Carr , it is not only that human existence is more surreal than not , but also that anyone , anywhere can tap into that wonder and amazement . He explains that their “ true beauty is that the images are raw visuals , unchanged , allowing anyone to fi nd the same imagery in the world around them .”
Space Shuttle , photograph
Clouds Melting on the Hot Asphalt , his piece from 2016 , is a breathtaking interpretation of this idea . In what appears to be a tiny retention of water , hardly large enough to be considered a puddle , Carr has captured yet another surreal moment . It is a meteorological phenomenon so intense that clouds fall to the earth under the weight of oppressive heat and seemingly melt into liquid silver upon touching the scorching asphalt . This moment is shockingly intense given how simply the stage is set . There is just enough water collected on the road to refl ect clouds on a bright day , and Carr just happened to be there to photograph it . To leave the art-making process at that point ignores the intention of the piece . It is not just that he was in the right place at the right time or that he saw something spectacular in the commonplace . He is teaching the viewer to look for these things , too , empowering the viewer to seek out the surreal in his or her own life .
Carr is documenting the clues and giving humanity a tutorial on what to look for when searching for
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