About
Karl Hatrak was born in Los Angeles, Ca and moved to the Palm Springs area in 1993. From a young age, Karl was interested in the architectural designs of man-made objects and structures, and how those designs complemented or detracted from the natural designs that occur in the surrounding environment. Primarily a self-taught photographer, Karl’s desire to capture this unique aesthetic in an artistic way, led him into a career as a Fine Art Photographer. “Photographing the beauty in any object on its own, whether man-made or made by nature, is often times too predictable. The unique beauty that exists in a structure like the Empire State building can never be truly recreated in a picture. The oddity and the unanticipated in an object, not always the pretty, is what becomes my focus as a photographer.”
Karl’s search for the unexpected has taken him all over the world. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see the dramatic changes in environment from place to place. I can go as far as Dubrovnik and as close as Joshua Tree, the idea is to let the world around me influence and dictate what I see and what I want others to see.”
Karl’s first show at Slaughterhouse Gallery, Palm Springs in the Fall of 2006 exhibited photographs that exposed others to what Karl has been observing for years. Along with beautifully crafted shots of places and people, Karl experimented with a layering technique that combined natural designs and synthetic designs. “I work with multiple photos and use a layering, or collage technique, much as one would do in a dark room. Two interesting, quality photos must exist first – I don’t alter them in the process of creating one photo.” What is created are striking, evocative abstract pieces that hold their own against any acrylic or oil painting.
Over the last several years, Karl has continued to work with this technique as well as experiment and explore all the possibilities in digital photography. Karl’s “Smoke Series” in the Fall of 2007, was a study of light, incense smoke and Karl’s own breathe to manipulate movement. What was accomplished was a series of brightly colored figures on dramatic black backgrounds that even upon close examination seem impossible to be anything other than tangible, solid, objects, certainly not anything as fleeting and evanescent as smoke from a burning incense.
As a photographer, Karl continues to explore his world outside of his immediate environment and outside of the confines of convention. He continues to study photography theory and is diligent in learning about new developments with regard to equipment and technique.
Other influences in Karl’s photography are his work and his social circle. “Having worked with a lighting designer for art collections, I’m so much more aware of how light affects what a viewer sees. A great piece of art with the wrong lighting can fall completely flat. The same is true in taking pictures; the smallest change in the angle of the light can either enhance or destroy a photo dramatically.” As for Karl’s friends, “I feel lucky to be fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly artistic and talented people on a daily basis. My closest friends are painters, writers, and musicians. The inspiration and support from these individuals is invaluable to my work and their friendships are invaluable to me as a person.”