‘Brought To Light’ – Mobile Photography / Art Interview with Catherine Caddigan from the US
Our ‘Brought to Light‘ interview section explores the mobile photographers and mobile artists behind their art. Each question has been carefully crafted and is designed to allow us to get to know them a little more intimately. To view others that we have published in this series, please go here.
Today we are featuring Catherine Caddigan, from the United States. Caddigan is an experienced photographer and artist with a strong belief in the transformative power of photography and art. Creativity, has Caddigan bravely reveals within our intimate interview, helped her to become a better human being and mother. Many people describe tragedy as creating a shift like presence, it changes the way you view things. I believe this to be the case with Caddigan, her creativity has much to do with what she feels, as to what she sees and beyond that, creates.
Within Caddigan‘s work the aesthetic is strong and immensely appealing with poetic wisdom and there’s also a fragility, her strong sense of belief and faith in the betterment of things shines through. This is an intuitive series of work, created and exhibited at a substantial personal level. To view more of Caddigan’s work, please go here.
This body of work drew us to Catherine Caddigan…
Describe a moment that changed your life
There was a tragedy in my early life involving a fire and the death of my young sister that deeply affected my whole family, some more profoundly. But I prefer not to dwell on that so I will talk about a more recent event. Thirty-two years ago my son was born, and I got sober. It was not a coincidence. This event brought me into contact with some very some positive people and good healthcare. I adore my son, and I had the unwavering support of my spouse. It was a long struggle, and the three of us, my son, my husband and myself traveled it together. Along the way I sought out spiritual connections as well. Creativity had always played a role in my life, but now it became more central. I had somehow always glamorised alcohol and creativity as in Dylan Thomas and Jackson Pollack. But I found I could be more productive and a better human being and mother without it.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
Describe a childhood photographic/art memory
I was always drawing, and when I was young my mother took my sister and I to the local “artist” for lessons. I can still remember the set up of blue cloth and vases in her home studio. I can remember the smell of the turp. She had a fascinating home and wore outrageous clothes and jewellery. I was hooked, I admired her individuality. I still remember completing a rather mediocre painting but I really learned a lot about making art, about living with it the way she did.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
Describe your mobile studio
I have 42 photo apps, so far, but I keep a list of apps I would like to add. Many of these apps I don’t use, I focus on a few favorites, and some of these I am still learning. I also have an OlloClip and a tripod attachment.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
What do you like to think about whilst creating images?
Differently. I save when I think I have something and then keep going, to see how far I can push the image. Sometimes, I am hardly thinking about anything, just seeing and doing. My process is very intuitive.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
Share one mobile photography/art tip
I would like to say: stay curious. But I need to share something else, which is that I am not as organised I would like to be. I’m not very tech savvy and I need to do a lot of work organising and storing my images. Since I am very right brained it is something I have put off far too long.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
What or who ignited your passion for mobile photography/art?
I was using Flickr before I got an iphone, and I admired Roger Guetta’s work, and had some commonality with him photographically, though I’m not comparing myself to him. I noticed when he started to use a mobile device and became intrigued with the results he was having. I had no idea where to start when I got my iphone 4 and somehow I found a nearby workshop with Rad Drew. I took it and it got me started, he suggested apps and had lots of helpful information for getting me going. Then I bought the Bob Weil on-line course, but I would say it had been Roger who has inspired me the most. (And still does.)
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
What is the most unusual subject you have photographed/painted?
A deer skull. I put it in a plastic bag and took it home, bleached it and photographed it.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
What are your favourite mobile photography accessories?
My favorite accessory is my tripod attachment, though I don’t use it all that often.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
Describe your dream photography assignment
I am an avid reader, so I would love to work for a publisher doing book covers.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
Who would play you in a film of your life?
Jodie Foster
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
What does mobile photography/art mean to you?
It has been a slow transition for me to go from my SLR to my mobile devices. But it is so immediate and tactile that I find it to be compelling. Much of my method is the same in as I used for the SLR. I shoot and collect images and visual material both original and “found” and integrate various elements into compositions. I always have my phone and I try to be aware of visual opportunities as I go about my day, then when I have some free time I will sit and concentrate on some project that is on going. I literally carry my art around with me, and find that I can surprise myself a lot. I am thrilled to be a member of a community of artists that shares the way mobile photographers do. And I am so grateful to Joanne Carter for giving us a forum for this medium.
Photo ©Catherine Caddigan
While you’re here…
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
One Comment
Carol Wiebe
These images are all compelling, by which I mean I don’t just breeze past them. I stop and LOOK and admire the juxtaposition of images and ideas. My favorite statement that Catherine makes is “I find that I can surprise myself a lot.” That, to me, is key. An artist that surprises herself is someone who is experimenting and open to the gifts that come her way.