Callis is a master at making the beautiful scary, at making viewers “viewers squirm,” as Muchnic wrote in 1982 (Suzanne Muchnic, “Photos That Are Made, Not Found,” Los Angeles Times). Her Vintage Early Black and White series–for example, Gown in Moonlight–is a prime example of this, presenting a white, strapless, chiffon-layered evening dress, fitted at the top and full below the waist, spread out on the dark, oil-stained pavement. This image, like many others in the series, leave us with many questions, and much to be imagined.
The subjects in the black & white photographs are often robed in shadows, reflections, masks, and veils, lending a sense of foreboding to their lush settings and nubile bodies. Yet in every image the artist’s presence is palpable and lends a pervading sense of safety to the pre-calculated play. Callis dances just beyond the frame, delighting in the world she has created—a world of fragmented narrative and a childlike sense of continual experimentation.
All Early Black and White 8 x 10 inch Vintage Gelatin Silver Prints are $7,500.
Please note that most of the Early Black and White Vintage are the only existing prints in Callis's archive.