CRAIG A. CHAMPION ︎ THE FIRST 2 MINUTES
During quarantine, the first important thing I noticed in the two minutes of every day was photographed. I decided I’d do this until my supply of film ran dry. It was a familiar act I theorized might steer the day into a pinch of normalcy. It would also become visual documentation of me attempting to ground myself to anything.
Why was this important?
My apartment wasn’t the only place I was locked down. It turned out, for decades my head had been constructing a rat trap of forgotten trauma and it decided spring it on me… In tandem with a bipolar episode.
After two minutes an ugly forgotten past would begin another assault. My bipolar would jumpstart its way out from its heavy spell of Trazodone, then the day started disintegrating. I needed to try to have an image of before that.
Taking these pictures was confusing. An annoying, senseless rote act that made me hate the art form I love most. However, the daily ritual and the streaming written thoughts that accompany were somehow vital. They got me through some dangerously difficult days and helped me in ways I’m still decoding.
The Series Project. Isolation. July. 2020.
IPA Winner: Fine Art Analog Category.
︎ CRAIG A. CHAMPION
The irresistibly eclectic themes gathered over the last twenty plus years in Craig’s photography may have sprouted from his nomadic youth. When living with his family in an RV, bouncing from campground to campground on a weekly basis, change, the unfamiliar, and new experiences were constant. This period of raw discovery, Craig recalls, was the best period of his life. He’s chosen to carry on the tradition as he’s traveled the world directing commercials, branded projects, and conducting photo shoots for a wide variety of international brands.
Craig’s most recent series, The First Two Minutes, was an IPA winner in its category, Fine Art, Analog. It was also a Jury Top 5 Selection Award recipient.