EXCAVATION (1977-1983) The b&w images in this group is where my work began, most of these have been informed by my early study of Weston, White and Siskind. Many of the
devises I learned from these artists I still use to this day and I
continue to expand upon and transform in different ways in all my visual
work.
CURRENT B&W (1994-) B&W work in
progress, begun as early as 1994 and running concurrently and
intermittently to present. This group has bits and pieces from each of
my bodies of work so for now we will call it a gumbo until each image
has more siblings show up.
It is
interesting to note from 1977 to 1984 I worked almost exclusively in
b&w. Then from 1984 to 1994 I worked almost exclusively in
color. So hopefully this work has extracted many needed tools from those
journeys and others.
PHOTOGRAPHER'S PENCIL (drawings;1997-2000) This group covers drawings made between 1997 and 2000. These drawings were begun about half way through the making of the photographs in particle pool.
One
might refer to these drawings as personages. I made them from emotional
necessity with the spirit of automatism in heart and hand. As with the
paintings they were also made in an attempt to loosen and further inform
my photographic language.
These
drawings were made very quickly in sessions lasting 2 to 3 hours in
length sometimes longer or until I felt satiated. The sessions produced
many drawings per outing, some pieces more successful than others. I
drew a lot when I was young and then in college, both eras producing heavily labored efforts
leaving only technique. For sure I was now being called by a medium I
had mostly an adolescent relationship with. I was finally free as a
mature artist and image-maker to reacquaint my self with graphite.
I
believe my thoughts in approaching this work were that speed can
deliver emotional impact and polish can remove it. Over the years I had
found that photography (a quick medium) had the ability to harness my
subconscious thought in images I was seemly drawn to make. I recognized
if my strengths as an image-maker were aligned with a medium like
photography that I would play to them and trust my instincts.
Finally
I wanted to throw all the rules from drawing class out the window, I
didn't mind the endless graphite refuse getting on the piece and along
the way decided to use it (in fact court it) to slur and blur lines as a
slow camera shutter might. Or as a blues player would bend and slur
notes on guitar strings to accent more feeling in a solo. I wanted this
work to have a raw power, so even the application of smuge-blurs were
applied with quick aggressive jabs.
I
believe as people we do not hold a single visual image in our minds
when we think of each other, but a composite of rapid thought-images
culminating in a kind-of thought-feeling if I may.
By
the time this project seemed like it was done with me I had easily 1500
drawings to choose from, I'm still doing so. Like photography many
sketches and attempts are executed and only a few images out of those
efforts truly have a life of their own.
see paintings bottom of page