Lately.

I've been dealing with the materiality of film, gold and experimentation for a few months now, and I been trying to push what I had been doing. Rather than gold leaf black and white images I have expanded my tests to e-6 color film, varying from 4x5, 120, 8mm. The content of these images is currently film that has been deemed unusable or of no practical worth, mine as well as others. These appropriated slides are gold leafed and differ in a way that makes the effect unique to the image, different exposures have different effects.

Mariko Mori, possible insight for display methods for 'Sapien Aurum.'

Patrick Clancy and I were discussing my issues with not knowing how to display my images and he brought up artist Mariko Mori. Mori's series entitled Miracle. Typically Mori has used newly developing technologies in the production of 8 diachronic images on glass. The work aims to awaken people’s deeper consciousness, making them aware of different realities by asking them to think about being in a present that coincides with the past and the future

Since the images are mounted to glass causing the viewer to look at themselves while viewing the images. This is definitely something I want my viewers to have to relate to, and while I am not dealing with the same issues as Mori, I believe I have several new ideas for methods of display.

Hollow Existence

The above images are rough test shots from a side project I have right now that coincides with several of my ideas presented for the series 'Sapien Aurum.' For me this project has to do with the creation of a pop-science fiction myth, a society of people engineered, no longer capable of the ability to experience illness, suffering, pain, sorrow. Chemicals exist with in the water system to help aid in the populous' 'well being' as well as keep them numb. What would these people look like? If the experiences that are essential to human development are denied what, if anything, can these people be expected to amount to with such a hollow existence?

Sapien Aurum

rough sketch for senior thesis:

Artist Statement:

Experimentation is key to the development of any society. Curious investigation has always been something that humankind has depended on for our own advancement as a species. The knowledge that can come out of what could be considered frivolous escapades is often the most interesting. Alchemists attempting to find the meaning of life through philosophical discourse as well as physical experimentation. What myths do we as man create? What legends do we inherit and gather? These questions could easily be considered worthless, but we are based upon lore. As someone intrigued by the history of invention and non-convention my practice has been to say 'what if'? This liberal practice resonates in my current work. What are these glowing forms inside this golden orb? Why do they feel familiar? What about this is my own, and what about this have I been told?

I am not here, nor there.

Removal Of Self.

Disfigurement Of The Disfigured.

Assimilation To The Norm.

Disintegration Of The Soul.

Not Here;

Nor There.

Olivier Valsecchi

Olivier Valsecchi is a french photographer I stumbled upon on 500 Photographers. I'm just in love with the images, the lighting is phenomenal; the subjects seem to be submerged in water. The effect the dust is an ephemeral disintegration of the performers (after all, isn't anyone who poses for a camera a performer?).

Tom meeting 1.

Artificiality is my want to dismember and dissect the soul from a person with in a single photograph. I find the notion of a representation of the human form that some how lost its humanity to be a fascinating notion to explore.

Talk 1 with Tom.

Life on The Screen S-Turkel

Donna Harraway

Rembrandt, think about his control of focus on the subject. Rather than disfigurement on an exaggerated scale, allow for subtle blurring and change in focal depth as needed. Look to eyes**

get grey card

1 to 1 scale-printing possibility?

Make a traditional contact print as well as digital.

Remember the bellows factor, also calculate the lens length.

Selenium tone negative for d max -research

Referential Artists From Tom.

Richard Learoyd

Thomas Ruff

Catherine Opie

Rineke Diakstra

Ryan McCulley