Art Can Make You Think

The artist job is to arrive at a unique solution to a problem. The problem is visual and self imposed. The solution can be the asking of open ended questions that require the viewer to have there own answer. By posing open ended question the viewer becomes a participant in the photo. In the last two years I worked on a series of pictures called feathers. Although there is a theme that unifies the images, I strive to make each picture its own unique solution to a visual problem.

Be True To The Media

According to Webster's New World Dictionary, photo, (meaning light or produced by light), graphics,(meaning capable of painting drawing or writing). I tend to take a literal interpretation of this definition and apply it to the work I produce. How I use light is an essential element in my work. One of the key elements in how I plan a picture in my minds eye is to pre-conceive the light. What direction will it come from. Will the light be hard edged from a spot light or bare bulb, or soft edged from a reflector or light box. Will I fill the shadows with a reflector  or another light, what will be the light ratio between light and dark areas. I think of the surface characteristics of the subject, will it show texture and drama if the light skims across it, will the light pass through it if it is translucent. Will the light be consistent with the context of the subject or abstract. You can take the simplest subject and light it in a manner that will render it dramatic. Often you can take the light that exist and  alter it with reflectors and gobo's or added artificial light  to achieve your desired end. There are also times when you find light as it exist  to have qualities that are interesting or support your subject, and that may be enough.

Graphics is drawing or painting or writing. I want my pictures to be as graphic as possible, hence the use of black and white. Color can often get in the way of a strong image, or be a crutch for a week one. I love the challenge of producing a simple image that gain visual power from its graphic nature.

Where Do My Images Come From

We all have a third eye, our minds eye. We see with it in dreams,  our imagination, how we want things to be or not to be. We have all heard some one say picture this, they are calling on us to use our third eye. The visual artist literally pictures it. It becomes a process. We often change the original visualization in process because different ways of seeing our original concept come to mind. As creative people we are open to change and accept variations which may be visually stronger than our original concept.