Creating books with photographers has been a part of the studio since its beginning. After seeing Chris Raecker’s photographs and his unique story and motivation behind them, I was very excited to begin the process of making a unique publication with him. The following is a recent interview with the photographer on his latest series “The Midnight Carnival”. - David Brady
Q: Who were your early influencers in your love of photography?
A: Well, this question really goes to the heart of the book. Why I photograph the way I do, has a great deal to do with the Art I was exposed to as a child going to Sunday school. The drama, the inky lithograph like black and white, the between the lines story telling.
So, works by John Martin and GUSTAVE DORÉ, who were 19th and early 20th century religious artist, made a powerful impression on me that would reveal itself much later on in life in the form of A Midnight Carnival. Finally, I’m not the only photographer to credit Henri Cartier-Bresson for showing me what is possible in the medium of photography.
Left: “The Destruction of Leviathan”, 1865 Gustave Dore. Above: “The Dragon”, 2018 Chris Raecker
Q: Do you have a favorite image from this series?
A: From childhood, I remember art with chariots and angels in a rolling sky. Think, Elijah Ascends to Heaven or Death on a Pale Horse. In A Midnight Carnival I think Disk is one of the best examples of this subconscious interpretation or channeling.
Q: How would you describe the state of mind you were in when photographing at the carnival?
A: It’s a very meditative state amid chaos. Everything around me slows up and the images just seam to hang their waiting to be photographed.
“Disk”, 2018 Chris Raecker
Q: What was your reaction when you opened the box and saw your book Midnight Carnival as a book?
A: One gets use to seeing their work in a specific medium, such as a monitor screen. It can be startling, but so important, to view your work from a different perspective. I have an edition called Big Sky. Images where the sky is an important character. I print them to 60x40” and face mount them to glass. My response to seeing them hanging for the first time in New York was the same as seeing the book. WOW!
Q: Was there a specific reason why you chose these images to make a book?
A: I think there was story in A Midnight Carnival that I needed to tell. It’s really about how Art worked in my life. This is a case where the art informed me, the artist, as to what was going on in my head. The art itself discovered my minds eye before I even knew I had one. I hope it’s a story others can connect to.
Q: What is your favorite book?
A: An early and influential book. John Szarkowski’s The Photographer’s Eye.
“Time To Go”, 2018 Chris Raecker
Q: In one or two words what does Midnight Carnival mean to you?
A: Revelation
Q: How did Brady Book Design capture the essence of Midnight Carnival
A: They really had a sixth sense as to where to get involved and where to step back. I knew what I wanted to say, but book design, publishing, writing, book printing, are not things I was going to get right the first time out. I needed their expert help to do it right. They were able to take a table full of images and cometary snippets and turn Midnight Carnival into a fleshed out, readable and relatable book.
Hardcover with slipcase and mini catalog by Brady Book Design, 2020
Q: Do you have a favorite carnival ride?
A: No. Actually, they only fly into my camera as Art objects. Memoirs of a time I’d long forgotten.
Q: What is next for you Chris?
A: The book is really the capstone to Midnight Carnival. Which is another reason to produce a book. They make a fitting ending to a project. I still love to display my photography and do so when ever I can.
Excellent! Thank you again for the interview, Chris. We are extremely happy with how your publication came out. We Love your photographs!
Interview by Jude Aluce
Staff writer.