On this week's episode of Out and About, Mae Gilliland of ArtsPartners of Central Illinois talks with fine-art photographer Keith Cotton about Collected/Constructed, an exhibition featuring his photography alongside the stainless steel sculptures of Fisher Stolz at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria.
For Cotton, the exhibition represents the culmination of a ten-year photographic project that began in 2016 with hikes through the woods of central Illinois. He committed to documenting the natural world, with particular attention to the details, textures and forms that often go unnoticed.
Known for portrait photography, Cotton approaches nature with a similar perspective, seeking out the characteristics that make each subject unique. His black-and-white photographs capture everything from fallen trees to seasonal changes in the landscape, often isolating elements that reveal something unexpected.
The project also challenged Cotton's relationship with photography itself. As smartphone cameras became increasingly sophisticated, he questioned the future of his chosen craft and briefly stepped away from the work. Eventually, he returned to film photography, combining traditional techniques with digital processes.
The physical photograph remains central to Cotton's work, particularly in an era when so much imagery is experienced through a screen. "When you go to the print, you have to stop," Cotton said. "It's going to be like you can reach out and touch it."
Collected/Constructed is on view through Dec. 12 at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria's Preston Jackson Gallery. An artist reception will be held Saturday, Nov. 21, followed by an artist Q&A on Friday, Dec. 4.
Listen to the full conversation to learn more about Cotton's decade-long exploration of nature, his evolving photographic process and the experience of encountering fine-art photography in person.
