Gallery Director Eric J. Keller has been involved in nearly every aspect of the art and business of photography for the past three decades, picking up his first camera at the age of ten. His love of the medium blossomed at age thirteen when he entered his first photography contest and won first prize.
In 1986 Eric discovered the historic and hauntingly beautiful photographs of Edward S. Curtis and his magnum opus, The North American Indian. This experience solidified his interest in the still image and its power to capture and hold the viewer.
Upon graduating from college with a degree in Commercial Photography Eric pursued a career in his chosen field and spent the next ten years working with a broad-ranging base of clients in Seattle and Los Angeles. During this time he also explored several alternative processes of photography and print making as a means of broadening his knowledge of the medium and advancing his own unique creative process.
In 1997 Eric accepted the position of Assistant Gallery Director at Flury & Company in Seattle, a gallery specializing in the photography of Edward S. Curtis. This experience sparked an interest that had been building steadily over the past eleven years. He began to delve deeper and deeper into Curtis’ work, exploring all aspects of his incredibly complex project.
While at Flury & Company Eric was very fortunate to meet and work with Anne Makepeace, during the production of her motion picture, Coming to Light: Edward S. Curtis and The North American Indians. He also had the opportunity to help organize an installation of Curtis’ photographs at the U.S. Embassy in Katmandu, Nepal through the U.S. State Department’s “Art in Embassies” program.
In 1999 Eric relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico; a journey that Edward Curtis made several times from Seattle during the making of The North American Indian. Shortly thereafter he accepted a position with the Andrew Smith Gallery of fine art photography. It was here that Eric continued to develop his appreciation for, and knowledge of, a broad range of photographic artists, many of which can be viewed on this website. In late 2001 Eric left the Andrew Smith Gallery and opened his own business, Soulcatcher Studio.
Eric served as a research consultant for the acclaimed book Edward Curtis: The Master Prints by Clark Worswick (Arena Editions, 2001). In 2002 he was hired by fine art photography book publisher St. Ann’s Press as an independent consultant. Most recently he was asked to be a contributing writer for the upcoming revised edition of the acclaimed reference volume, The Photograph Collector’s Guide.
In 2005 Eric joined the Board of Directors of Blue Earth Alliance, a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to supporting photographic projects that educate the public about threatened cultures, endangered environments, and other social concerns. In January 2007 he was re-elected for a second term as Vice President of the organization.
Eric has also served as a Portfolio Reviewer for the past ten years, at events including Review Santa Fe 2006, Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2007, Review Santa Fe 2007, Review Los Angeles 2008, Review Santa Fe 2008, Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2008, Review Los Angeles 2009, 2009 Photo Alliance Our World Portfolio Review (San Francisco, CA), Photolucida Review 2009 (Portland, OR), Review Santa Fe 2009, Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2009, 2009 Lishui International Photographic Cultural Festival in China (as an honored curator), Review Los Angeles 2010, 2010 Photo Alliance Our World Portfolio Review (San Francisco, CA), Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2010, 2010 PhotoNOLA Review (New Orleans, LA), Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2011, 2011 Photo Alliance Our World Portfolio Review (San Francisco, CA), Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2012, the FotoFest 2012 Biennial (Houston, TX), Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2013, FotoFest 2014 Biennial (Houston, TX), Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2014, Photolucida’s Critical Mass 2015, Photolucida Review 2015 (Portland, OR) and FotoFest 2016 Biennial (Houston, TX).
February 2016 marks Soulcatcher Studio’s fourteenth anniversary on the World Wide Web. Over the past nineteen years, Eric has placed a variety of images in some of the premiere private collections in North America and Europe. With this venture he strives to offer an eclectic mix of historic and contemporary photography in a very client-friendly, accessible setting. The highest quality of customer service has always been our number one priority. We are committed to long-term personal relationships with artists and clients alike. Whether you are a seasoned collector or just getting started, we can help find the material best suited to fit your needs. Please give us the opportunity to help you build your collection today.
Simply put, we stand behind everything we sell. You have my word on it.
Eric J. Keller, Gallery Director
This website is dedicated in loving memory of my grandmother, Marian McDill Hartrick, who passed away on the same day that this website was launched. April 22, 1910 - February 27, 2002.