Keith Carter (American, b.1948)

Photography

What is a Summary of Texas Artist Keith Carter's Artwork, Style, and Background?

Keith Carter is a distinguished photographer known for his dreamlike black-and-white photographs of the physical and cultural landscape of Texas. His work often explores themes of time, memory, and place, creating a connection between the mythical and the historical. His imagery tends to be both familiar and mystical, thus creating a sense of fantasy and reality. Born in Wisconsin, Carter was raised in Beaumont, Texas, and continues to reside there today.

What is Keith Carter's Connection to Texas?

Keith Carter moved to Beaumont, Texas, with his mother as a young boy, and has spent most of his life there. The landscape, culture, and people of East Texas have greatly influenced his work. He has photographed the region extensively and has become one of the most renowned photographers of the American South. His intimate connection with Texas is evident in his body of work.

What Kind of Art Does Keith Carter Make?

Keith Carter primarily works in photography, often in black-and-white. His photographic style has been described as transcendental and mystical, with a deep focus on subjects connected to East Texas and the American South, such as landscapes, animals, and people. He often works with traditional film and darkroom techniques, although he also employs digital technology.

How Did Keith Carter Get Started?

Keith Carter began his career as a commercial photographer, operating a portrait studio in Beaumont, Texas. He discovered his passion for fine-art photography in the 1970s, when he started exploring the East Texas landscape and its people through his lens. He received national acclaim for his 1997 book "Heaven of Animals," and has since published numerous books of his work.

Where Have Keith Carter’s Works Been Exhibited?

Keith Carter's photographs have been exhibited worldwide in over 100 solo exhibitions in 13 countries, and are included in many private and public collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In 1991, he received the Texas Medal of Arts in photography.

Who Influenced Keith Carter's Style?

Keith Carter's work is often compared to that of Walker Evans and Clarence John Laughlin due to his use of elements of the surreal in a Southern context. He has also mentioned being influenced by other visual artists like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank, as well as writers, such as Gabriel García Márquez and Eudora Welty, whose work has a similar blend of the mythical and the real.