Hallmark Symposium: Tim Archibald

I was particularly excited to see Tim Archibald speak. I had seen images from his project Echolilia online months before hand. The images really resonated with me as my oldest son has autism. The photos had a familiarity to them- so many of the shots I felt could have easily been of my son.
The scenes which he and his son, Eli, created were simple, raw, honest, and have a timeless and primitive quality to them.  I was anxious to hear him discuss the project and learn more about the process.
Archibald explained that he has had difficulty relating to his son and desired a connection with him. That introducing him to photography and letting Eli be involved in the conceptualizing and editing would be an opportunity for connection as well as a way to get a glimpse into his son's world. Archibald hoped to achieve a better understanding of his son as well as facilitate an opportunity to share an experience and bond.
I feel that they are a series of powerful and beautiful photographs. Some shots are especially illustrative of the frustration and coping experienced by individuals with autism, while others featured Eli's quirks and curiosity.
Archibald explained that he would sometimes catch Eli doing something and ask him to recreate the scene to give him an opportunity to shoot him. It was interesting to learn that some were more staged than the 'caught in a flashing moment' and spontaneity the images portray. Also, that at times during the process of shooting there would be chaos all around in the background environment, due to having a much younger brother toddling about, as well as additional variables while shooting in their home- this did not translate into the photographs and I find that impressive.
After the his talk concluded, I had the opportunity to speak with Tim and my reaction to the photographs was interesting to him. Having a son with ASD gave me a completely different perspective in that they were comforting to me. I felt that Tim and I could relate an a personal level. It was a good opportunity and experience for me as a parent.

In addition, Archibald's presentation contained food for thought as a student/artist/designer. He discussed the balance one must maintain of personal work versus commercial work. An artist must continue to work on personal work that they are passionate about. This can lead to commercial work opportunities, development of your craft, as well as potential earnings from the personal projects themselves.
His recent works primarily pertains to kids, kid issues, and family issues. However, his project Sex Machines: Photographs and Interviews takes a look at home made sex machines and their inventors.Archibald was curious as to who was behind the inventing and creation of these machines. He shared his experiences of meeting those individuals and the unexpected interactions. He learned from those encounters that there is always so much more to a story- to a person's life. In this rather niche hobby, there was a wide range of personalities and some very colorful individuals involved.
Archibald pointed out that you are an expert on your own life- if it isn't an interesting story then it's the failure of the listener.
He encouraged to be a good listener. Restrain judgement. Everyone has their own unique story- open your eyes, ears, and mind to allow yourself to truly hear it.