Hendrik Paul lives in Mill Valley, California and is a black and white photographer. He processes each roll of film by hand and prints in the traditional silver gelatin format. The meticulous hand crafting of each print is an integral part of his work and these techniques help capture nature's tranquil and meditative qualities.
My journey began years ago in an ancient monastery tucked between the mountain ridges of northern India. On a particularly dark evening, I noticed a long staircase leading to a rooftop. Its dim glow caught me, and I felt pulled to ascend despite its narrow, steep path. Moving closer, I saw each step as a new period in my life. For so long I had resisted changing, climbing, yet the urge to surmount some unknown summit drove me forward. As I crept up each step, the voices of the past echoed, 'you are not good enough,' 'the journey is too hard,' 'you are not doing anything new.' But soon I reached the roof, and the voices faded, and I understood. I had found a path.
Sometimes I hear faint calls of disapproval from my fascination with a historical process rather than evolving into digital, but then I see an image appearing in a tray of developer under an amber light, and I know I’m exactly where I should be.
Walking up the steps in the monastery I discovered the one true voice that I had been waiting to hear: my own.
Hendrik Paul received his BA in 2003 from Providence College and his MFA in 2009 from the San Francisco Art Institute. Paul was a 2009 Fulbright finalist and nominated for the 2012 SECA art award with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). Past exhibitions include Meditative Landscapes at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Depth of Perception at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and Landscape Other at Rayko San Francisco, California. Paul's permanent collections include Providence College in Rhode Island and the San Francisco Public Utility Commission. Currently, Paul works from his studio darkroom in Mill Valley, California and is focusing on a new project involving