ROCSTAR is CPMcB’s recent project of vintage-processed portraits, celebrating the diverse community around the Roc City Skatepark. 

The exhibition showcases McBride’s approach to one of the earliest methods of photography, wet plate collodion. Famously romanticized through scenes of early Americana, collodion images riddle our history as cultural artifacts that illustrate everything from petticoat street fashions, to cultural icons like Billy the Kid. By adopting this iconic photographic technique, CPMcB refreshes our gaze on contemporary culture by recontextualizing it through this slow, deliberate process, in order to connect more deeply with his subjects.

He says, “One of the reasons I am drawn to the skate-park is because it’s one of the few places in Rochester NY, where I see a great deal of diversity and collaboration. Here, I see all kinds of people: Black, Brown, White, Asian, Young, Old, Straight, and Queer, teaching each other what they know about skating. These photographs illustrate how inclusive and accepting the skate community is, and how dedicated they are to each other's growth. All walks of life are represented by this culture.” The show is sponsored by @booksmartstudio and @shadesofpaper

GALLERY TALK: Friday, November 3, 6:00 PM
Free // All Welcome

About Clay Patrick McBride:

NYC-based photographer Clay Patrick McBride began his visual training in the South of France, where he spent his late teens and early twenties studying painting and art history. He eventually turned his focus to photography, moving to New York City in the early 1990s to attend the School of Visual Arts. While earning his BFA, McBride developed a bold style of portraiture intended to both celebrate and empower the subject with humor and honesty.

McBride’s portraits of top athletes and musicians such as LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Metallica, Norah Jones, Jay Z, and Kanye West have appeared in countless magazines, among them Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and NY Magazine. His commercial work includes hundreds of album covers for Sony, Def Jam, Universal, Blue Note and Atlantic Records, as well as print campaigns for Pontiac, Boost Mobile and Nike.  Over the past few years McBride has expanded into moving pictures with a number of short film projects and music videos. Characterized by a stark surrealist quality, his film work is an exciting and logical extension of his still photography. Current productions include The Incredible Exploding Boy, an autobiographical feature that explores father-son relationships, insanity and addiction.

In 2013, McBride earned his Masters in Digital Photography from the School of Visual Arts, where he has taught for the past 10 years. McBride currently resides between NYC and Rochester N.Y. with his wife Sarah Keane and Italian mastiff Judy.  He is currently lending a hand to the next generation of photographers working as a professor of photography at RIT.

Visit his website: http://www.claypatrickmcbride.com/