Meridian, Jeremy Blair

Jeremy Blair is an Assistant Professor of Art Education at Tennessee Tech University. Jeremy received his BS and MS in Art Education from Miami University and his doctorate from the University of North Texas. Before moving to Tennessee, he worked as a K-12 art teacher in Savannah, Georgia, and a curator at the University of Colorado Art Museum. Jeremy exhibits his alternative process photography nationally and participates in artist residencies regularly.

I investigate the intersections of place and self by developing site-based cameraless photograms that reconstruct my lived experiences. I create on-location in rural outdoor environments, using a custom-designed light-proof tent. I place foraged objects on photosensitive paper, expose the paper to light, and develop the work through a sequenced eco-friendly chemical bath. I relocate my mobile darkroom throughout the day, experiment with multiple exposures, and welcome variables like weather, water temperatures, and pH levels. In this body of work, organic materials and environments interface with light, water, and chemistry, leading to intimate connections with place, material, and self.