This led Ruhter to a forgotten town on the edge of the Salton Sea located in California’s Imperial Valley. The idea was to create a camera out of an abandoned house. The structure would serve as the framework for the camera. Instead of focusing on the decay from the outside, this house camera allowed a view from the inside into someone’s dream. Once the giant lens was placed on the front of the house, images of Ted, a 100-year-old resident who recently found himself homeless, were projected in, breathing new life into this abandoned structure and once again making it a home. During this brief moment in time when Teds’ photograph was captured, he was present in both places. In reality, he was homeless in the outside world. However, the projected image simultaneously allowed him to be sitting in the living room where he was once again home. When viewing the life-sized plate it serves as a mirror, allowing one to reflect upon where they will be in the twilight of their life.
Ten seconds of this dream were recorded on a 200-pound sheet of glass coated with collodion. The result was a 66″ x 90″ Ambrotype, which is recognized as the world’s largest wet plate collodion image.
Ruhter’s latest large-scale project explores new uses of the wet plate collodion photography process. After a decade of experimenting, he saw that each of the physical properties used in the process; glass, light and chemistry, were beautiful in their own right. Working with these elements in combination with their relationship to shadow and space were used to create light-sensitive sculptures. This is his introduction to working with multi-dimensional works of art.
Ian Ruhter has been accredited for his contemporary use of analogue photographic processes. His subject is the future allowing him to explore what can photography can be.
His works have been exhibited at the Danziger Gallery New York, Nevada Museum of Art, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fahey Klein Gallery Los Angeles, Color Field Project curated by Paul Slack San Francisco, Danziger Gallery Los Angeles, Bombay Beach Biennial Dead Sea Scrolls, Photo London, Pulse Miami, Photo Shanghai, AIPAD New York, Selects Works are in permanent collections of actors Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Paul Sack photographic trust SFMOMA, Sheryl Sandberg COO Facebook, Stuart Butterfield founder Flickr & Slack. Will and Carrie Singleton. In addition, he has been commissioned for large scale projects by H.E. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi UAE, Angelina Jolie, Will & Cary Singleton.
His revolutionary process has led to Interviews by the New York Times – when a photographer is his own camera. CNN news- travel Joshua tree, National Geographic – what is old is new, Travel Channel – America the beautiful narrated by Robert Redford. San Francisco chronicle – perfect imperfections, NPR – Capital public radio. and PBS – Colors.
Keynote speaking engagements are Ted Talk – What would you be willing to sacrifice, Nevada Museum of Art – art & the future of creativity, PDN photo plus, NY, PPOC Vancouver BC, Palm Springs Museum of Art – Silver & Light, Xposure, UAE, Worlds largest Ambrotype.