April Meeting 4/20/23 – James Payne’s “American Portraits”

James Payne’s “American Portraits”

Photographer James Payne will  join us in person to discuss his photography. “American Portraits” is photographer James Payne’s magnum opus – a stereoscopic photo documentary chronicling the diverse group of Americans who have touched his life, covering 46 years of images (1976-2023).

The ongoing American Portraits project began in 1976 as a documentation of the differences of the occupants of one apartment block in Payne’s Southern Illinois neighborhood. The apartments in this building had identical lay-outs, yet Payne was struck by the singular way in which each tenant had personalized their space.

While today’s portraits continue to be shot in a style consistent with the first images, the scope of the project has expanded. As Payne has relocated and traveled the project has moved with him to include people and interiors in other parts of the country, such as Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, as well as other cities his subjects inhabit.

The images are authentic and direct, capturing the subjects in their home environments in poses of their choosing. Payne has specifically opted not to suggest a pose or location, understanding that, if left to their own devices, people will reveal something about their individual tastes, values and connections. These personal histories and the addition of the passage of time comprise the focus of the project.

“The diversity and richness that has filled my life is visible in these immersive images beginning in 1976 and continuing thus far. The individuals and families that have posed for me began in my youth, with fellow students and I have continued to photograph portraits of my peers throughout my life. The project is still active, new images are being added as it continues to evolve. The ability to view these images safely solves a long-standing obstacle to sharing it.”

James Payne’s interest in photography began in childhood and became the focus of his creative work while attending Southern Illinois University. Payne was diagnosed with Diabetic Retinopathy while in his twenties, and doctors informed him that he would most likely go blind. Faced with losing his vision, he chose to pursue photography while he still had his sight. After exploring a wide range of approaches, a trip to New York City in 1976 led to his decision to forego the many manipulative techniques in vogue at that time in favor of straightforward camera capture, in natural color and stereoscopic 3D. Discovering images instead of creating them became his signature approach. He began the American Portraits project while still a student in 1976, and earned a degree in Cinema and Photography, concentrating on still image capture in 1977.

His condition progressed less rapidly than the doctors had expected, but in 1990, Payne lost all vision in his left eye, and much of the sight in his right eye, and was forced to suspend the project, which had now been ongoing for nearly fifteen years. Payne agreed to an experimental surgery to try to restore some vision in his left eye. The procedure was successful, but left him with a cataract, requiring another surgery to replace the damaged lens. Amazingly, he slowly regained his vision in both eyes, and had to completely relearn how to see the world properly, and stereoscopically.

Resuming the American Portraits project, he has continued to build the photographic timeline of his life through the people he has known. Selections from the project have been seen by the public in studio exhibitions, using the original analog slides and viewed using handheld stereoscopes, but the full project has yet to be presented in its entirety.

We also encourage everyone to bring their favorite 3-D items and images to share in the members’ “Show-and-tell”.

Plus we’ll have a few extra surprises!

We look forward to seeing everyone IN PERSON!

All visitors must follow local Public Health Guidelines & mandates while at the Velaslavasay Panorama.