Artist’s Statement
I’m a contemporary fine art photographer and a psychoanalytic psychologist, based in Los Angeles. I’m drawn to the moments that surround us and that we often overlook in the mundane of everyday living, resulting in several photo genres including street photography and straight photographs with strong graphic or abstract elements.
I want the viewer to reach beyond the obvious, feel an emotion, or think about something differently. I often explore the border and mystery between what is real and what is not, without crossing that boundary into compositing.
I prefer to shoot whatever catches my eye as I go out into the world, and I call these “found images.” I’m drawn to singular scenes like a boy in a lingerie shop, a light switch in a gallery, or something about shapes, patterns, colors, or the unexpected. My photos are typically candid images, presented without compositing or major Photoshop editing.
I love when someone thinks an image is set up rather than candid or is made by photographic manipulation when actually it is not. I’m delighted when people don’t know what they are looking at in a photo but love it anyway.
Artist’s Bio
Throughout Carl Shubs’ 30 year career as a psychoanalytic psychologist practicing in Beverly Hills, CA, he has also been a self-taught contemporary fine art photographer. His first exhibit was in 2011, as part of a group show at the Museum of Neon and Kinetic Art, in Los Angeles. That recognition encouraged him to deepen his commitment to photography and to begin showing his work.
His work is held in private collections, and he has exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Louvre, the National Art Center of Tokyo, The Chiba City Museum of Art (Chiba, Japan), and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. He has been in many juried exhibitions (including over 20 yearly between 2016 –2021).
His acclaimed jurors and curators have included Elizabeth Avedon, Andi Campognone, Debra Klomp Ching, Brian Paul Clamp, Shana Nys Dambrot, Peter Frank, Herair & Lori Garboushian, David Garnick, David Gibson, Greg Gorman, Mark Steven Greenfield, W.M. Hunt, Ann Jastrab, Julienne Johnson, Paul Kopeikin, Walter Maciel, Jim Morphesis, Susan Spiritus, Aline Smithson, Paula Tognarelli, Nick Turpin, and Richard Vogel.
He has won awards and honors. His work has been published in such prestigious publications as YourDailyPhotograph, Lenscratch, and F-Stop Magazine and the hardcover books Best of Photography 2015, by Photographer’s Forum, and California Love: A Visual Mixtape, curated by Michael Rababy. He is proud to have curated a combination solo exhibit and group show that included seventeen amazing artists who work in a variety of media. He has also been invited to be curator for L.A. Photo Curator’s online exhibition “Street Shooting.”
HONORS & PUBLICATIONS
2023
Thresholds: Street Photography Now - HONORABLE MENTION (juried by Angela Bryant , Managing Director at Rose Gallery, Bergamot Station Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA)
– Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP)
THE SAME BUT DIFFERENT - HONORABLE MENTION - (juried by Debra Klomp Ching, co-owner of the Klompching Gallery, New York)
– New York Center For Photographic Art’s (NYC4PA)
2022
URBAN Photo Awards 2022, Street Photography, Trieste Photo Days, (juried selection)
2021
URBAN unveils the City and its secrets, Vol. 07; URBAN 2021 Photo Awards (juried selection, Bruce Gilden as Jury President)
ARCHITECTURE 2021 – (juried by Laura Noble) – Third Place
– New York Center For Photographic Art’s (NYC4PA) – (over 1200 images submitted)
HOME ’21 International Photo Prize Competition Gallery – LensCulture
– Thieves Notice
What Will You Remember? – (Elin Spring and Suzanne Révy, Editors)
– (LACP) 2021 EXPOSURE Weekend
F-Stop Magazine. April/May “Self-Portrait” issue, ISSUE #106, Self Portrait 7
2020
The Creative Portrait – (juried by Paul Kopeikin) – First Place
– Los Angeles Center of Photography’s (LACP)
California Love: A Visual Mixtape – book (2020), curated by Michael Rababy
2019
The 19th Japan International Exchange Exhibition and Competition (curated by Katsu Shimmin and Julienne Johnson) – The National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan – Golden Award & Award of Excellence
Green, Secondary Colors, 2019 (juried by Claudia Sohrens) – Juror’s Selection
– New York Center For Photographic Art (NYC4PA)
What’s in Your World? – (juried by Susan Spiritus) – Honorable Mention
– Los Angeles Center of Photography’s (LACP)
International Photography Awards Oneshot / Street Photo Contest – Honorable Mention
F-Stop Magazine. June/July “Open theme” issue, Men’s Room.
2018
NY Photo Curator. August, 2018, “VIBRANT,” juried by Julie Williams-Krishnan, Honorable Mention, Red and Yellow – 2, https://cm-sites.icompendium.com/accounts/nyphotocurator.com/vibrant-julie-williams-krishnan/honorable-mentions-laura-barth-to-the-light-laura-barth-road-trip-karen-hochman-brown-beguiling-poppy-carl-shubs-red-and-yellow-nadide-goksun-mina—-/1/3.
F-Stop Magazine. June/July, “Altered Images” issue, Red and Yellow – 2 and Orange with Black and White.
2017
F-Stop Magazine. December/January, “Street Photography” issue, Woman and Shadows Modeling and Wall With Blue Windows.
Art Muzeo Magazine, March issue, Featured Artist, http://www.artmuzeomagazine.com.
F-Stop Magazine. June/July, “Color” issue, Modeling and Red Hot Sunset.
F-Stop Magazine, February/March, “Love” issue, Fishing on the Pier with his Dog
2016
Lenscratch, The 2016 Last Days of Summer Exhibition, Part 6 – Girl in Pink with White Ribbon in Her Hair, online at http://lenscratch.com/2016/09/the-2016-last-days-of-summer-exhibition-part-6/
Life Framer, August, An Instant [month’s theme]: Editors’ Pick – “Modeling,” http://www.life-framer.com/an-instant-editors-picks/.
F-Stop Magazine, October, “The Human Body” issue, guest editor Sarah Hadley, online at http://www.fstopmagazine.com/groupexhibition.html, (Row 6, Column 4).
F-Stop Magazine, February, “Wonder-Full” issue. “Looking Back at You,” online at http://www.fstopmagazine.com/groupexhibition.html, Column 5, Row 10.
2015
Digital display at the Louvre – July 13th, as part of the Documentary Collection, page 60, SeeMe Exhibitions and the Fifth Annual Exposure Award.
Photographer’s Forum hardcover book, Best of Photography 2015.
International Photography Awards – People : Other – Honorable Mention
International Photography Awards – One Shot: Home – Honorable Mention
F-Stop Magazine, February, “Black and White” issue. “A Boy and His Thoughts,” online at http://www.fstopmagazine.com/groupexhibition.html, Column 1, Row 9.
2014
Winner of the 2014 International Street Photography Contest, sponsored by YourDailyPhotograph.com, juried by Magnum Photographer and 2013 Guggenheim winner Bruce Gilden.
Curation
2018
L.A. Photo Curator: Global Photography Awards – Street Photography
2015
Shine On! A combination solo and group exhibit that included seventeen artists whose work included photography, painting, mixed media, collage, and sculpture.
Memberships
2016 – present
– Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP)
2015 – 2020
– CAL (California Art League, Exhibiting Member)
2014 – present
– Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA)
Representation
Dab Art Co., Los Angeles, CA
(2019 – Present)