Both Light and Dark

The work that I'm doing is about "seeing" and denying the expectations of the photograph. What is a photograph? What makes is photography? We see so many visual images today that many of us are unable to really look anymore. There is also the whole other discourse today about representation in photography.

Here is the shell at the beginning. A cyanotype on aquarella water color paper

Here is the shell after. I wanted to open it up to create a fragile skin that references decay, destruction, and change. Hopefully you will take away a sense of the use of light both in the process that created this and how it interacts with the piece as it now exists. Also I have eliminated the traditional flat wall hanging orientation.

My mentor Susan has had a lot of good questions and ideas so hopefully (cross your fingers) this will not fall like a lead balloon! (ha ha funny reference!)

Getting set up

I've tried to give a little more insight into the process I'm going through to make these images. Here is a piece of Araquelle Watercolor paper that I have scratched with a kitchen knife.

The cuts are randomly placed and don't go all the way through.

 

I also laid strips of photographic paper on Kraft paper. This is the heavier weight Kraft paper. I haven't been seeing this around as much as the thinner paper which is more prone to tearing when soaked.

 

After letting it dry I hope to coat in cyanotype.

Next I have to look through several images to create more paper negatives. I have been working through each image more slowly this semester to think about what I want to place as image, how I want to create it, how I want it to read, and what I want it to say. That doesn't say that everything will work out exactly the way I envision but I'm trying to allow some chance with a lot of thought.

 

The Fruits of Summer ......

What I've been working on this summer has to do with the process of sunlight on paper. I've included a few of the pieces that I've done and I'm posting a few more. After meeting with my mentor, I'm putting some of these pieces into a "digital studio" where I can study them and figure out ways to do 'more'. She had a very interesting story about Pablo Picasso using photographs of his work throughout all the stages to help him decipher and fine tune his work. I've also got a few more artists to look up, some I recognize the name and others are new. So there's a lot to do.......

 

 

 

 

Here's the front view.  This piece is made of several layers and the papers include light weight Kraft paper and tissue paper. I tried to print digitally and it kept jamming the printer so I figured I'd see what it looked like and if it would take the washing to make a cyanotype. It is very much about destruction.

 

 

Shell

 

I like how this happened into a shell. I was washing it out and then left it to dry over some plants outside. I have been playing with the idea of what a photograph means to me and the idea of liberating the photograph off the wall. That means a question as to how it would 'stand or sit'.

 

Scroll

This again was laid on the bushes to dry and as it began to curl I liked the position and way it was folding and only helped it a little.

 

                                                                   Landscape 1
To me these are interesting enough but not a finished work. I am going to see if I can find that certain something that makes it 'finished'!

Following the Sun

I've been reading interviews and other papers on the work of Uta Barth and connect with her idea of our perception and ways of seeing. I like her earlier work a lot. The latest series with the interiors are interesting and I have to agree I've always liked the idea of the play of light on surrounding surfaces but it's just not as compelling to me.

Here is my version or take on photographing in the style of Uta Barth. We went camping before the kids head off to college. The play of shadows and light on the road was appealing enough that I took out my camera. Then since I had been reading about the space the viewer occupied in relation to the focus point of her work, I started to think how about trying to photograph this "in the style of"

Then it went into thought of how she chose her images that seemed like typical backgrounds for portraits and snapshots.

Which at this point I wanted to try more abstract and something that I am always interested in - water and sky....

And that was really fun. I wonder where this will lead?????

Using the sun to advantage

I have been working on coating different types of paper with cyanotype to see what happens and get a feel for how each takes the process and final wash as well as accepting the image.

I used a paper backing of Kraft  paper and on the front used cut strips of Epson photographic paper. This was a leap in assuming that photographic paper would accept the cyanotype. The image didn't come through but I'm not sure that it's a problem. I was interested in producing both image and non-image this semester.

I had dipped the paper in a tray of cyan so actually both sides were coated. When I put it out in the sun I found both sides produced a latent image. The result of dark and light is perfect and goes back to the idea and importance of light.

When I rinsed it and left it to dry it curled up on itself. I am happy with the lack of flatness. My considerations have been how to present it. I am thinking I would love it have it show both sides but don't know if I want it hung or presented some other way.

I've done a few other papers including Canson Mi-teintes and regular water color paper. The amount of time in sunlight for creating an image is pretty long. Again each paper had differences and difficulties. The Mi-teintes was pretty fragile and tore a bit during the rinse. Again it wasn't a problem for me as it highlighted a weather beaten feel.

I'm also looking at completely deconstructing the idea and image of a photograph. I took a printed photo (printed on rice paper) and ripped it up. Then pasted it on a background that was painted, mono-printed, and had wax drippings. This is a more traditional presentation on a flat surface.

I have no idea how others will view this. I wanted to really question what a photograph is and what we expect to see.

Getting under way

I have been doing a lot of reading. Also trying to get the direction of the work off to a good start. I've been photographing some of the pieces I brought to the last residency and it's tough. They are either so reflective they shine too much or they lose their color quality. Also have one or two other new ones. In looking at Marco Breuer and Liz Deschenes, I've been putting a lot of thought into how to use what they do and add my own personal twist. It's hard!

New Pieces detail and large view:
In this I am making a more sculptural body out of the photograph. That's a curl in the upper edge.

Now on another path.....

Here's a photo transfer I started. I tried the Digital Ground Media for printing digital files but I wasn't getting a very good surface image. So I switched to trying a transfer.

The paper is partially scrubbed off. I'm not liking the loss of detail and emphasis. I think it probably works well with large graphic images.

 Inside looking down.

Now this is interesting. I've started by forming Kraft paper into a sculptural object (vase) and am going to see how well I can apply an image. I think I'll skip the photo transfers on this one.

Semester II

  It takes time to filter through all the information and reactions from the last residency. It was amazing to see the strong group of work from the graduating class.

I am moving towards a more abstract visual style and am also looking at disrupting the idea. expectations, and experience of what is a photograph.

This new piece is printed on velum and then encaustic.

I am interested in finding the best way to present this piece. I am thinking of perhaps having it layered over another sheet of paper. But I may try something more bold.