Stephen Waddell explores the complexities of photographic mediation, revitalizing street photography and reportage through keen observation and empathy for social subjects. With a background in painting and filmmaking, he questions the notion of realism in image-making, often referencing pictorial histories like early photography and classical painting. His work reflects an understanding that observation is shaped by recognition and an unconscious awareness of existing images. Utilizing both analogue and digital tools, Waddell continuously experiments with new processes and materials, infusing his photography with a painterly sensibility that highlights light's qualities. Illumination serves as a reference to both photographic perception and human vision, creating close connections between a print's subject matter and its material attributes. His layered images sometimes reference the act of photography itself, as seen in large gelatin silver prints of underground caverns illuminated from within. Waddell adeptly navigates the challenge of imbuing single images with dense meaning, offering a richly rewarding sensory experience that reveals uncanny details upon close examination. While some images are staged, chance elements infuse each picture, balancing controlled and wild aspects in works that are both precise and ambiguous. Co-published with Scotiabank Photography Award, Toronto.
