Adam Licht sets up the relationship between the organic and synthetic in his photographed Found Series. Made on a dirt surface in the basement of Dieu Donné, the cast of a basic objects like a comb, light bulb, detergent or soda bottle was made with paper pulp then photographed. The cast captures the shape of the object and the debris lying near on the ground. Licht is interested in using common contemporary objects in a setting that infers an archeological excavation. “Paper is an excellent medium to do this with,” says Licht, “because I can modify the color of the paper and pick up and embed material as well as take impressions with paper.”

After creating the paper objects, Licht takes a photograph of the formed piece. The art object is the photograph, giving some distance from the object and adding to the image. Documenting this process, the artists has created a prehistoric tromp l’oeil where the contemporary item looks more like a fossil of a trilobite or displaced vertebrate than what it really is—a challenge to photographic truth.

Adam Licht received a MFA in Photography from the University of Arizona and BFA in Photography from College at Purchase. He also holds a MBA from the University of Chicago.

Workspace Program artist-in-residence 1996