Photograph of Chris McCaw.
Chris McCaw is among the Class of 2026 Guggenheim Fellows, a distinguished and diverse group of culture-creators that spans 55 disciplines. Learn more on the Guggenheim Foundation's website.
Navigating between literalism and abstraction, McCaw has worked to capture our place in a cosmic landscape in motion. The artist equips his large-format cameras with powerful lenses typically used for military surveillance. Instead of film, McCaw inserts expired fiber-based gelatin silver photo paper directly into the camera. Pointing the lens at the sun, McCaw makes recordings ranging from thirty seconds to as long as 84 hours. The sun, intensified by the lens, scorches its path across the paper while creating a solarized image of the landscape or seascape below – a “direct positive” image made in-camera, without an intervening negative. Throughout his work, these burned lines and holes are tangible traces of the act of making each photograph: marking time, recording location, mapping weather conditions and channeling light.
McCaw will have a solo exhibition with Yossi Milo in 2027. An Online Viewing Room of works by the artist can be accessed here.
April 14, 2026
