Artist Statement
Heather Oelklaus resides in Colorado Springs where she is the Print Workshop Supervisor for the Colorado College Art Department. She has been working with photography for 22 years and enjoys the sense of play and curiosity with her work.
Process Statement
“Leftovers” is a current body of work wherein I utilize the Lumen technique, also known as photogenic drawing. By placing food items on black and white photographic paper and exposing it for a day and sometimes months to UV light, certain magic to happens. Once the food is lifted off the paper, the unique leftover impression of the food creates an image that transforms the previous notion of the object. What has decayed has become new and I believe very beautiful.
Age 0 Oelklaus was born in LeGrand, Iowa. She was given the name Heather Parks. It took her 18 years to escape.
Age 2 discovered her nose and realized small items could be placed up there. Medical bills mounted.
Age 3 took great delight in standing by the road naked.
Age 4 convinced that magic exists.
Age 5 renamed herself "Moses" and refused to answer to any other name.
Age 6 informed by the teenagers on the school bus that the middle finger meant "I love you". Shocked mother's face still burned into her memory.
Age 8 receives her first camera, Kodak 110, loves the sound of advancing the film.
Age 10 kicked off the school bus for saying "I love you" with middle finger.
Age 14 develops break dancing skills to have street credibility, realizes small town only has one street.
Age 15 goes on family vacation to California and realizes she really is too cool for Iowa. Spends remaining teen year starring out her window dreaming of the day when she will leave.
Age 16 falls in love with photography and darkroom experimentation.
Age 18 attends the Kansas City Art Institute and studies sculpture. Spends most of her time in the photography department.
Age 20 still believes in magic
Age 21 moves to Colorado Springs and hops train for the first time. Takes a job photographing students for their school pictures.
Age 22 moves back to Kansas City and works at Olan Mills. Decides that there is better money to be made tending bar. Sees a UFO on her way home.
Age 25 moves back to Colorado Springs and marries a kindred soul, asked for an oxygen / acetylene torch for a wedding gift.
Age 26 involved in organizing the 2nd and 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Juried Photography Exhibitions and "A Year in the Life of a Camera" project. Becomes a member of the finest photography club in Colorado Springs, the Circle of Confusion.
Age 27 gives birth to live human, falls in love.
Age 32 "Better Homes & Icons: Polaroid Transfers by Heather Oelklaus" first one-woman show.
Age 33 Starts teaching an Intro to Photo class at UCCS during the fall semesters.
Age 34 Realizes she wants to be in the darkroom and not the classroom.
Age 36 Skips out of the darkroom and accepts a position as the Print Workshop Supervisor at Colorado College.
Age 40 Oh my….turned 40!
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