Text Page 2 (from Dreaming in Reverse/Soñando Hacia Atrás)

Continuation of curatorial statement reads: The spiritual aspects of many of these images beg certain questions. What are the motives of the woman in Seabird Mimicry? Is she planning to jump or attempting to ascend upward and fly with the birds? Is her appearance a nod to Remedios the Beauty who rises to the sky in Gabriel García Márquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude? Are the ghost-like images in Two Chairs and Visions of Clemencia fleeting moments of reality or haunting memories? Do the two girls holding the hoops of fire, in Ring of Fire, allude to Mexico's position in a volcanic/earthquake active region, thus symbolizing the fragility of the country?

Although the implication of the work may often elude us, the compelling nature of the compositions themselves makes it impossible to look away. With a background in graphic design, Chambers effectively uses deep perspectives, dramatic light and shadow, and unusual points of view to pull the viewer into the scene. His unconventional cropping of the female figure in Presumptuous Guests makes it appear boundless, stretching beyond the limits of the picture frame and taking us with her. In Winter Dog, Summer Solstice, the diagonal placement of the dog in the left foreground is not only startling, it throws the viewer off balance just enough to make us want to know more. With skillful command of the elements of design, Chambers has persuasively drawn us into an investigation of reality.

-Dennis Kiel

Chief Curator, The Light Factory

Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film