I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1998 to study photography at the College of Santa Fe. David Scheinbaum was the head of the department, one of my professors, and my advisor. It was an honor and joy to study with David and tap into his wealth of knowledge. Yet, somehow, it was not until almost 20 years later, when I caught up with him on Zoom to see what he was working on, that David told me the story of his move from Brooklyn, New York, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is an inspiring story that I would like to share before we get to his current work.

David moved to Santa Fe in the late 1970s after seeing preeminent photo historian Beaumont Newhall speak at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, where he he saw Beaumont speak on the occasion of a Paul Strand exhibition. This event inspired David to relocate to the Southwest with the hope of meeting his long-time photography hero.

If you have taken any photography classes in the past few decades, there is a good chance that Beaumont's classic The History of Photography was your textbook. Beaumont Newhall (1908 – 1993) was a curator, art historian, writer, photographer, and the second director of the George Eastman Museum, among other significant accomplishments.

A few weeks after relocating to Santa Fe, David managed to work up the nerve to cold-call Beaumont, and guess what — he picked up and invited David over to meet him that very day. This meeting was just the beginning of a long-term relationship. As a result, David ended up becoming Beaumont's assistant and friend. After Newhall passed away in 1993, David served as co-executor of his estate, as he continues to do today. Based on this experience, David's advice to this day is to "seek out those who inspire you."

Over the decades, David has worn many hats in the world of photography. In addition to his work with Beaumont, David has produced several significant bodies of work, published a number of books, has inspired thousands as an educator, and is currently a photographer and gallerist in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in collaboration with his wife Janet Russek, and daughter Andra Russek (Scheinbaum & Russek).

Flashback to spring of 2020 — suddenly, everyone needed to adapt and stay close to home for an unknown period. Out of this, new work was born. Scheinbaum took this time as an opportunity to push himself to take his photographic practice to a new place. On March 12 of 2020, David began what I see as his most personal project yet — his exploration of the ENSŌ. Traditionally, the ENSŌ is a hand-drawn circle with Sumi ink on paper, in one brushstroke expressing a moment in time. As a photographer, David opted to explore the ENSŌ with light and chemistry instead of Sumi ink — returning to the origin of photography. Over one year (March 12, 2020-2021), David made it a regular practice to spend a few hours per day, four to five days a week, in a sacred space, his darkroom, depicting the powerful form of the ENSŌ by exploring with a calligraphy brush, silver gelatin paper, and chemistry, making latent brush marks (on paper). Each image is a single stroke and occurs in one breath — a journey inward.

But why, one might ask, after 50 years of photographing would one wish to, even if temporally, put down the tools that they have mastered and adopt this "seemingly simple" method of image-making? Was this simply a quarantine project, structured to get David through the days at home? The answer is no — making cameraless images is something he had desired to explore on a more in-depth level for several years now — and having the opportunity to dive deeper with this new project brought Scheinbaum great joy. In two recent (pre-pandemic) projects, Kalós and -+-=+, David started to move in this direction by creating one-of-a-kind paper negatives with his 8x10 camera, which inspired the desire to travel even further back to the essence of photography, light, and chemistry. It wasn't, however, until quarantine that it was possible to fully pursue this exploration at the level that he desired. 

I view, and I believe others would agree, the ENSŌ project as a form of meditation — and to wade deep into the waters of such a project requires a certain kind of quiet, which can be hard to find when you are caught up in a daily routine. Successfully executing a "seemingly simple" project is actually far more complicated than one might anticipate. When working in a minimal fashion and in a style that necessitates embracing having a certain amount of control, every detail counts. The images in this project were made in dozens of ways, utilizing a range of different chemical combinations that in some cases could take decades to understand and appreciate the subtle differences. Yes, anyone can make cameraless images, but having mastered all aspects of a craft, even when you decide to strip away most of the tools, the mastery is still very apparent. At first glance, all ENSŌs are circles, but are hand-drawn, so like snowflakes no two are quite the same. In Zen, the ENSŌ is capable of representing polar opposites within the same image, such as life and death. Each image in this series is a marriage of being comfortable with having a lack of control, which is an inherent part of the practice, combined with David's deep knowledge of the craft. In my mind, this is a perfect balance. Spend some time with these images, and I believe that you will see what I mean.

GALLERY

ABOUT THE ARTIST

David Scheinbaum is former Director/Chair of the Photography Department and the Marion Center for Photographic Arts at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, and Professor Emeritus, College of Santa Fe.

His current work focuses on the production of paper negatives addressing black culture and racism in America.  The work was exhibited at the Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2018 and is traveling to the Windgate Art and Design Gallery at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, in 2020. His most recent work traces life and ceremony along the Ganges River in Varanasi, India.   

David worked with the preeminent photo historian Beaumont Newhall from 1978 until Newhall's death in 1993 and continues as co-executor of his estate.  With his wife, Janet Russek, he operates Scheinbaum & Russek Ltd., private fine art photography dealers and consultants in Santa Fe, New Mexico and exclusively represents the estate of Beaumont and Nancy Newhall, and Eliot Porter. 

In 2019, David Scheinbaum was appointed as a commissioner to the Arts Commission of Santa Fe. David has been the recipient of both the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, 2010, and the City of Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, 2001. Scheinbaum has exhibited internationally and is represented in numerous museum collections. Connect with David on his Website and Instagram.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anne Kelly is the Director of photo-eye Gallery in Santa Fe, NM, and has been with the company since 2006, producing and installing over 80 exhibitions. Established in 1991, photo-eye Gallery is a premier contemporary photography gallery representing both established and emerging photographers. Her interest in photography developed at an early age, influenced by her mother’s love for the medium. In addition, Kelly is a highly engaged portfolio reviewer for several arts groups and organizations across the country, both in-person and online, providing feedback, critique, and discourse.

As an active supporter of the arts, Kelly has been described as enthusiastic, tenacious, and curious, interested in mediums ranging from visual arts to music. In the Fall of 2020, she started Art in the Raw, a podcast and YouTube channel, as a way to keep artists connected and inspired through lively discussions about their practice and creativity.

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