Chloe Dichter (she/they) is a 22-year-old photographic artist born in Wailuku, Hawaii and spent
much of their upbringing in the blistering heat of both Las Vegas, Nevada and the San Fernando
Valley in Los Angeles. They are currently receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an
emphasis in photography from Western Washington University. Contemplating the precarious
ownership of their own history as a secular, patrilineally Jewish queer individual not only
informs their art practice but life itself. Dichter’s recontextualization of their family tree through
the utilization of the cyanotype method and archived family photographs, will shed light on the
realities of lost cultural roots and systemic erasure of Jewish life.
How does your identity shape your art? Different mediums and/or final pieces
Identity plays an imperative role in my art practice and especially in the work I’m
crafting for my BFA thesis. My cyanotypes are driven by the investigation into my
Jewish identity how that interacts with my queer identity. By reconstructing a
history that I have struggled to feel connected to, I have been able to forge an
ancestral connection to those who came before me. My belief is that identity is fluid
and can constantly evolve, so its affect on my practice also shifts with time.
At this point in your education do you know what type of job and work you want
to do as an artist?
Even though gaining employment upon graduation is going to prove to be very
difficult, considering the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, I am looking into
working as a darkroom technician at a photo lab. Where that may be, I’m not
entirely sure yet. Ultimately, having an instructional technician position (similarly to
Mr. Nathan Cranston’s) would be the dream. At this moment in time, I personally
don’t have a desire to be an exhibiting artist as I’m not interested in the cutthroat
and conceited nature of galleries/museums. That’s not to say that I won’t continue
to create, but making it on my own time for my own pleasure is more up my alley.
What was the application process like for the BFA major and do you have any
tips for students aspiring to apply?
Constructing and reworking my portfolio was the biggest task at hand for me
during the application process. Including the most conceptually strong works while
still representing visual cohesion was important during the assemblage of my
portfolio. My one piece of advice would be to try and get as many sets of eyes as you
can to review your portfolio. It’s really helpful to receive feedback from both
instructors and peers. I’m the kind of person who prefers to work with my hands
rather than my head so drafting up the written statement for the application took
quite a bit time for me. Finding solace and assistance from past BFA students
allowed me to compose a statement that felt true to my work and myself.
What specifically about the cyanotype process makes you gravitate towards it?
I’ve always said that anything old school is cool school, so naturally I gravitated
towards this historical process. I really enjoy the emphasis of the hand of the creator
and the feeling that I’m constructing a photographic painting. There is this sort of
charm and magic that comes when from witnessing a photograph come to life and
take form. There is something about the Prussian blue of the cyanotype that just
hooks me.
As an art major, you are constantly creating, do you ever experience blocks of
creativity? And how do you overcome this?
There is definitely pressure to produce and perform when it comes to creating work,
so it’s easy to get bogged down from time to time. Whenever I find myself in a
creative rut, I try to remember what I like about making art and what kinds of art
that I like to make. Some ways in which I unblock the creative clog, are
experimenting in the darkroom or taking a walk with my camera in hand.
Which of your pieces are you most proud of and why? Can you include a picture?
I am pretty pumped about my most recent work that I created using matzo
crackers. I’m attempting to recreate my family tree using cyanotypes printed onto
matzo. The work looks at the fragility and intricacies of my family’s infrastructure,
predominantly using archived photographs from the 20th century. There is
something quite tongue in cheek about fabricating art with food that this body of
work touches on. Utilizing a material in which will eventually decay, the work is
completely impermanent and fleeting; a facet of art making that I’m exploring for
the first time.
How has the pandemic affected your work and education as an artist?
The pandemic has affected my education and life itself in every way. Back in spring
and summer, I relocated back home to Hawai’i and tried to remain as artistically
active as possible. I managed to construct my own jerry rigged darkroom that was
converted from a closet. Additionally, I’ve had to completely switch over to self
portraiture as we are still practicing social distancing and staying at home. As a
soon to be graduate, the biggest bummer is that I won’t be able to have a graduation
ceremony.
When did you know you wanted to pursue art as a career/ degree?
I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in visual art ever since I was in high school as I
wasn’t much of a student and found little joy in subjects that weren’t creative or
expressive. Initially, I was interested in highly stylized studio photography. I
yearned to be one of those edgy portrait photographers that shot for DAZED
magazine and used a Contax T2. I soon realized that my passion lied elsewhere, and
that I could never even afford to buy a Contax T2. I was entranced by the magical
world of analog and alternative process photography. That sensation of watching a
photograph appear in front of my own eyes as it hit the developer, changed the way
I viewed photography. Ever since then, I have been honing and experimenting with
ways I can push the boundaries of image making.
