KenVanSicklePhoto: About

Mr. Van Sickle began his fascination with visual phenomena when he was given a photogram set at three or four in 1935-1936. His interest was furthered as a child with an early Kodak camera, and an 8mm movie camera. "One day I shot an airplane flying overhead, as it passed directly above me. I had to pivot in order to follow it, and when I later viewed the shot I was amazed to see the airplane turn sharply and go back in the direction it came." This was his introduction to manipulating time and space with a movie camera.

After being inspired by his grandfather who was a painter, Ken studied at the Art Students League in 1951 and 1952 with George Grosz, Howard Trafton, and Louis Bosa. In 1953 he bought a Leica 3c, with a 35mm. Canon lens and began shooting a roll of Kodachrome a week. In 1954 he went to Paris with the help of the G.I. Bill and studied drawing and composition in Montparnasse with Andre Lhote with whom Cartier Bresson and Andre Kertez had studied two decades earlier.

After his return to New York in 1956 Ken joined the American Society of Magazine Photographers, and branched out to motion pictures as well. He worked his way up until eventually becoming a Director of Photography. He worked in cinema for over 20 years shooting experimental films, commercials, dramatic films such as "Hester Street" and documentaries such as "Marjo" and "Close Harmony" each of which won Academy Awards.

Throughout his life Ken took still images and experimented broadly with many aspects of photographic possibility. In 1961 he accidentally discovered solarization. He has used it frequently since in its extreme aspect as well as to finesse contrast and texture in printing. In 1964 he began painting on photographs, which at the time was uncommon and frequently regarded as heretical. He played with panoramas, infrared, S.X. 70 Polaroid, and pinhole photography, and always continued to shoot classic candid black and white 35mm. In the late 80's Ken experimented with multiple exposures in which he "enlisted his subconscious" as an equal partner in the creative process.

Ken stopped working in film in the 1990's to devote his time exclusively to still photography. Coming full circle, in 2000 he revisited his first visual experience with the sunlight sensitive paper with which he played at age four and began working with photograms to create the "Mercury" series. In 2001 he began using a somewhat similar technique in color and produced the "Intralucent" series. Ken has been printing digitally since 2002, and in 2004 he began shooting the "Redscape" series, landscapes and cityscapes in infrared color. In 2007 he again delved into using solarization, and while printing digitally he began to include positive and negative imagery in the same frame, which he calls the "Ying/Yang" Series.

Throughout his life Ken has participated in a variety of group and one man shows. His gift was recognized early on winning a photo competition at the Limelight Gallery in 1958. His work was exhibited in the "Photography in the Fine Arts" show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and is included in the Mets permanent collection. Edward Steichen bought two of Ken's images for M.O.M.A. Since emerging from his film work his photographs have sold to private collectors, and over the last several years he has exhibited in group shows in New York, Paris and Berlin and has had one man shows in New York and Germany.

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	Mr. Van Sickle began his fascination with visual phenomena when he was given a photogram set at three or four in 1935-1936. His interest was furthered as a child with an early Kodak camera, and an 8mm movie camera. "One day I shot an airplane flying overhead, as it passed directly above me. I had to pivot in order to follow it, and when I later viewed the shot I was amazed to see the airplane turn sharply and go back in the direction it came." This was his introduction to manipulating time and space with a movie camera. After being inspired by his grandfather who was a painter, Ken studied at the Art Students League in 1951 and 1952 with George Grosz, Howard Trafton, and Louis Bosa. In 1953 he bought a Leica 3c, with a 35mm. Canon lens and began shooting a roll of Kodachrome a week. In 1954 he went to Paris with the help of the G.I. Bill and studied drawing and composition in Montparnasse with Andre Lhote with whom Cartier Bresson and Andre Kertez had studied two decades earlier. After his return to New York in 1956 Ken joined the American Society of Magazine Photographers, and branched out to motion pictures as well. He worked his way up until eventually becoming a Director of Photography. He worked in cinema for over 20 years shooting experimental films, commercials, dramatic films such as "Hester Street" and documentaries such as "Marjo" and "Close Harmony" each of which won Academy Awards. Throughout his life Ken took still images and experimented broadly with many aspects of photographic possibility. In 1961 he accidentally discovered solarization. He has used it frequently since in its extreme aspect as well as to finesse contrast and texture in printing. In 1964 he began painting on photographs, which at the time was uncommon and frequently regarded as heretical. He played with panoramas, infrared, S.X. 70 Polaroid, and pinhole photography, and always continued to shoot classic candid black and white 35mm. In the late 80's Ken experimented with multiple exposures in which he "enlisted his subconscious" as an equal partner in the creative process. Ken stopped working in film in the 1990's to devote his time exclusively to still photography. Coming full circle, in 2000 he revisited his first visual experience with the sunlight sensitive paper with which he played at age four and began working with photograms to create the "Mercury" series. In 2001 he began using a somewhat similar technique in color and produced the "Intralucent" series. Ken has been printing digitally since 2002, and in 2004 he began shooting the "Redscape" series, landscapes and cityscapes in infrared color. In 2007 he again delved into using solarization, and while printing digitally he began to include positive and negative imagery in the same frame, which he calls the "Ying/Yang" Series. Throughout his life Ken has participated in a variety of group and one man shows. His gift was recognized early on winning a photo competition at the Limelight Gallery in 1958. His work was exhibited in the "Photography in the Fine Arts" show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and is included in the Mets permanent collection. Edward Steichen bought two of Ken's images for M.O.M.A. Since emerging from his film work his photographs have sold to private collectors, and over the last several years he has exhibited in group shows in New York, Paris and Berlin and has had one man shows in New York and Germany.		a b o u t r e s u m e c o l l e c t i o n s p r e s s n e w s c o n t a c t h o m e

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