Artist Statement

Ken Frederick is a photographer with a passion for art and culture, which he combines with a strong understanding of the science and technology of photography.  He continually strives for the perfect image, not only with composition and lighting, but also with aesthetic qualities that capture the intrinsic beauty of both manmade and natural subjects.

Ken’s current area of interest is black & white infrared photography, specializing in architectural subjects. His images highlight architectural details rather than entire buildings. The images have a surrealistic look with high contrast and dark skies. Geometries, patterns, lines, curves, reflections, and shadows are emphasized in a semi-abstract presentation without regard to conventional perspectives.

The subjects of Ken’s additional projects are very diverse, including angels, abstractions, flowers, the Erie Canal, reflections, and store window displays. 

Biography

Ken’s life is steeped in photography. He is a native of Rochester, New York where he was raised in an Eastman Kodak family, with his father being a patent attorney who authored many color film patents. He began developing and printing his own photographs at age seven and worked college summers in Kodak chemical plants manufacturing polyester film base and purifying solvents used to make film. He also has a rare insight into the history of photography, both art and practice, and this informs his photographic works.  

Ken divides his time between Rochester and Houston, Texas. In Rochester, Ken is a member of the Board of Trustees of the George Eastman Museum, where he serves on the Executive, Photography, Technology, Conservation, Eastman Legacy, Library, and Audit Committees. In Houston, he is a director of FotoFest and is active at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), where he is a long-time member and past chair of the Museum Collectors patron group and participates in the museum’s Photo Forum. Both groups purchase artwork, including photography, for MFAH.

His volunteer work includes supporting the art community by photographing public art for artists, including the internationally-renowned sculptor James Surls and Texas installation artist Jo Ann Fleischhauer. 

Ken has exhibited and sold photographs in Houston’s Bayou City Art Festival and Artcrawl.  His photographs have been published in numerous print and online media including the Houston Chronicle, Houston Magazine, Houston Public Media, Paper City, and GigaPan Magazine.

Several dozen of Ken’s photographs are on permanent display in the public areas of “Brays Crossing”, “Rittenhouse” and “Harrisburg”, three Houston low-income housing projects by New Hope Housing, Inc., an organization dedicated to using art and architecture to enhance the lives of their residents. In addition, Ken’s photographs have been purchased to decorate the public areas of several facilities of the University of Rochester hospital system.

Ken is also a frequent lecturer on photographic techniques, the history of photography, image composition, and lighting.

Artist Statement & Biography