Haze is a solo project by Chaska Jurado. It is part of the collaborative series, Working Spaces. The site-specific installation was curated by Christine Callahan and Sasha Louis Bush. It was on view in Sasha’s studio in Poughkeepsie, New York in May, 2022. A limited edition zine was published to coincide with the exhibition.
More of Chaska’s work can be viewed at chaskajurado.com
Original zine text written by Sasha Louis Bush
Haze, consists of still life photographs depicting fruit and other natural wonders set against a range of patterned backdrops. They are cast in shimmering light and translucent colors which fill the pieces with a sense of mystery. Her pictures float, appearing and disappearing depending on the time of day. My physical orientation to them creates new transformations, revealing their full set of secrets.
Her photographs are installed in my office, directly taped onto a grid of six windows that face the backyard field of ferns, cut in half by a narrow stone path. From my desk chair, my personal horizon line meets the window ledge. On the ledge sits three photographs set into acrylic cubes. On an overcast day, waiting for rain, their colors stand out against the silver sky behind them. Set against fields of black, they remind me of color waves, pulsating energy in a range of aquamarine and emerald tones.
When walking into my office, in the early morning light, my eye line is significantly different from sitting. This vantage point changes the horizon line, extending it to trees framing the windows. From this height, I notice the deep shadows and luscious tones of the images with darker hues as they stand out against the pale orange sky. The image of a half peeled lemon with its glistening surface sits bathed in a golden spotlight. Light within the photograph mixes with light in my office space.
Chaska’s photographs constantly change, actively responding to the weather, environment and the audience’s point of view. I appreciate the shifts of light and mood.. This process delivers daily surprises and rewards the viewer with multiple perspectives.