Time spent in my studio has allowed me to go deeper into my explorations of collage and encaustics. Combining these elements in book form, I’ve been taking steps further away from “straight photography” yet my work is still firmly entrenched in the photographic realm. I have been fascinated by found, vernacular photographs, which dovetails nicely with my recent forays into the world of public domain movie footage. I love creating new narratives by using images I didn’t originally create. To that end, I’ve been using my materials to instill a sense of nostalgia and memory into these handmade books. The “object” is the key here. To fully engage with the book itself; to feel the wax on the page, to see, up close, the burns, the tape, the scars. I shared examples of this work on new gallery pages on this website. I hope you spend some time checking it out. Maybe spill some candle wax on your phone to get the true feeling of the work (just kidding.)
A Return to Palermo
I have been to Sicily numerous times, and each time I arrive in the capital of Palermo, I feel inspired to make photographs. The city is alive certainly; but at the same time, shows it age and history through the layers you can find simply by walking down the street. Here are a few images from my latest trip.
Camera choice is of no great consequence
I’ve been playing around with multiple image making tools lately. I hesitate to just say “camera” as I use other things besides a camera to make my visual work. I use my iPhone, not really a “camera,” right? I use my scanner, again, not a camera. I make collages by hand, then print or photograph them with my Canon DSLR camera. I shoot film, sometimes. I make digital negatives of AI generated imagery, and then make cyanotypes. My art does not depend on a camera to exist. I still consider myself a photo-based artist, just not simply a “photographer.” I’ve been struggling lately to let go of the dogmatic structure that the photo world can thrust upon me. Does it really matter what tool I used to make my art? Does it matter if I shoot half frame images on a film camera or through an app on my iPhone? Does it matter to the viewer? Does it make the work less interesting if it wasn’t shot on a 50 year old film camera? Does it diminish my intent as an artist? Is a simple, rough frame spit out via an app interface less valid than a filed out negative carier in a darkroom? Do i need to apologize for something that is pleasing but made easily? Do I need to struggle and flagellate myself to the photo gods before my work has meaning? NO.
Live projections for Chatter; Albuquerque, NM 2017
Moving Pictures
For as long as I can remember, I've been captivated by the world of moving images. As a kid, I loved exploring various forms of media, from audio cassettes to videotapes. The concept of multimedia has always intrigued me. Before I even realized that one could be a serious artist or filmmaker, I was already fascinated by these formats. Throughout school and beyond, image making has been at the core of my creative pursuits, both professionally and personally.
Photography and cinema have always been closely linked in my mind. In recent years, I've delved even deeper into this relationship, incorporating stock footage, public domain films, and other cinematic sources into my artistic practice. One way I've channeled this creative curiosity is by adding video embellishments to live musical performances. I've long dreamed of creating stage projections akin to those at concerts I've attended, like Anton Corbijn's visuals for Depeche Mode or U2, or the underground film footage at 1980s concerts at the Ritz in New York City.
In the past few years, I've had the opportunity to create multiple video projections for Chatter, an Albuquerque-based chamber music ensemble. They have given me the creative freedom to experiment with video on a larger scale. However, the technology for projection software and video manipulation is constantly evolving. The simple software I once used is no longer supported, so I'm always on the lookout for new solutions.
Recently, I discovered a fantastic software called VDMX5. I have a huge project coming up in a few weeks that requires reliable software for live video manipulations in a concert setting. VDMX5 has proven to be the perfect solution. It's powerful, easy to learn, and highly customizable, meeting all my needs. Not only am I thrilled about this upcoming performance, but VDMX5 has sparked new ideas for future video projects and public performances. I can't wait to see what else I can create with this amazing software. A big thank you to the makers of VDMX5!
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Hey there friends and followers! A quick note to let you know there is a new series on the website today. Click here or on ONE SIXTY SEVEN on the main page and check out my recent wandering in New York City, prism in hand.
“Caution: Albuquerque” 2024
Back To The Streets
It has been a while since I grabbed a camera and went out with the specific intention to make photographs. So much time in my own head, in my studio, using my hands and my head… but maybe not so much my eyes…
Albuquerque… it is not New York or Paris or Tokyo…for sure… but it is my city and it is a place I know well, even if it confuses me, or frustrates me, or scares me (sometimes, it’s true)…I feel safe in a place I don’t know well, in all honesty (not recognizing threats, perhaps, or ignorant to them, or maybe Albuquerque is genuinely more dangerous than other places???)
Grabbing a big, serious camera and my trusty prism, I headed downtown yesterday for a few hours of wandering. At least during the daytime downtown’s bark is worse than it’s bite. And as is the case for as long as I’ve lived here, things are generally deserted during the weekend, as most storefronts are vacant and the government offices are empty of weekday workers. Add a cloudy, windy, threat of rain sky and conditions were right up my alley.
Using the prism has rejuvenated my enthusiasm for shooting in the streets… it bring a nice degree of serendipity and happenstance to the process, while still staying anchored (albeit very loosely) to reality. I find that complete abstraction ends up being of passing interest to me, in a photograph, anyway. And the truth of the matter is that an image made with a camera does in some way stay connected to the “real world.” Which ultimately is fine with me, as I myself need to stay connected to the “real world,” too.
A view through a prism; May 2024
a report from the studio
I spend most of my days in my studio. This is the benefit of remote working. As long as my laptop is open, emails rolling in, numerous Zoom meeting, etc… I am “on the clock.” The advantage of having all of my art supplies readily available is a blessing and a curse. My studio space resembles my brain in many ways. Sometimes I need to turn it off, which in this case means randomly pulling “work in progress” off the walls, so I can stop thinking about THE WORK for at least a little while. The upside of working in this environment is that I can dabbler with an idea at anytime, and garner quick results, via Lightroom and my decent Canon printer. Case in point, I got a bug up my ass yesterday about my ongoing boredom with “straight” photography. At the same time, complete abstraction seems too easy sometimes, or just a plain, self-indulgent mess other times. The problem (not really a problem) with photography in general is that it seems so intrinsically tied to the real world (broad generalization, I know.) Somehow, someway, reality need to peek it’s head into the camera, and onto the subsequent print, or else it drifts into something else, something (primarily) non-photographic. I’ve taken to shooting through prisms lately (as seen last year in full effect in Paris) and I think what I like about the approach (when it works…and often it doesn’t…) is that it breaks just enough from reality, and falls into the territory of “uniqueness.” Reflections and transparency wielded in a barely controllable manner, with a heavy helping of serendipity. It reaps non-repeatable results, for sure. Images that are only by me, for better or for worse. Even dabbling in the studio becomes a journey into unknown territory, and as the above image can attest, sometime the results are magic.
Simulated capture of the eclipse with a simulated Polaroid, iPhone app.
Light and Darkness
A total solar eclipse occurred this week, visible to a large swath of the North American population. Unfortunately, New Mexico was not in the path of full totality, and the cloud cover obscured the partial eclipse in our sky. Still, there was noticeable shift in the midday light, and experiencing even a small bit of a shift away from the everyday was enough to give pause and provoke some deeper thoughts.
It was fascinating to watch coverage of the eclipse on my computer monitor. NASA did a wonderful job of tracking the progress via a live stream, complete with moody, new age music. The result was not schmaltzy but quite the contrary. The power and glory of the cosmos making its presence known to a great mass of people is a rare thing. Watching crowds gather and celebrate a celestial event was heartening. We all share this world, and it was nice to be reminded that we are all within something greater than ourselves.
Who are you?
One of the great joys of having my own website is being able to control every aspect of how I share my work. This extends to my blog posts, of course, where I am free to say, pretty much whatever I want, not expecting any kind of pushback or really any response at all. At the same time I do keep track of the visitor traffic and engagement of this website. It’s fascinating to me to see the analytics come in and notice that I have visitors scattered all over the world. The analytics also show me what contact drew the visitor to the website in the first place, and that is always interesting to see whether it was a snarky quasi-gear review post or specific body of work or a deep dive blog post about a specific photographer.
Still, the analytics only goes so far and I really don’t know who it is visiting the website (unless of course you leave a comment for me which I always appreciate receiving and try my best to respond to each one that comes in). So this is a simple exercise in trying to connect with each of you may be a little bit more.
If you’re reading this and are so inclined: drop me a comment and say hello and tell me who you are and where you’re from; maybe even how you discovered this post or this website in the first place. The world is big and anonymous, and at the same time, small and personal; so I am putting this out in the world to see who is out there and who has stumbled upon my website. “Who are you?”: a fair enough question, no?
Where Are You Going?
More time in my old hometown. I’m not going to pretend that it’s an enjoyable place for me to visit. With the cold, damp blast of winter, it’s even less hospitable. My camera provided little solace, though a wander through the woods down the block from my father’s house gave me a small bit of nature; a reprieve. Back when I was a kid, you could cross paths with a skunk or a possum in these woods. But in the decades since I left, deer have become ubiquitous in the area. They show little fear of humans, which is maybe a blessing and a curse for both sides of the equation. I did come face to face with this youngster while wandering through the late February thaw / muck. We sized each other up before parting ways. Two lone creatures trying to get through life while surrounded by suburban sprawl, we shared something in common on a gray afternoon in New Jersey.