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Statement
Lilliputian Landscapes
Lilliputian Landscapes are photographs of tabletop tableaus that I construct with food or found objects and populate with ¾" high miniature figures. The tiny people transform the scene into a world with a life of its own. Cauliflower becomes a snow-covered hill, a plate of grain is transformed into a beach, and a butternut squash turns into a construction site. I always create each scene entirely in front of the camera and do not use Photoshop or any other computer tool to construct the picture.
I began making these photographs in 2004 and they have evolved over the years with a new theme or subject each year. My first series was landscapes made entirely of fruit and vegetables and miniature figures. Then came sushi, Fiestaware, flowers, technology, money, games, bubbles, ice, vintage objects and so on. My current series are fantasy landscapes that portray an uncomplicated world devoid of politics, pollution, and hatred. They are places that I go to for refuge to escape from the malaise of everyday life.
Mindscapes
This series stems from my interest in the relationship between the conscious and subconscious mind. Neuroscientists believe that only 5-10% brain activity takes place in the conscious mind, while the remainder occurs in the subconscious. As a visual artist who relies on intuition, I find this idea intriguing.
A photograph by Abelardo Morell of a glass of water in front of a window, allowing the exterior to show through the glass upside down, inspired me to experiment. At first I photographed glass vessels and balls in front of windows. This evolved to creating photographs as backgrounds, printing them on translucent film, and placing them on a light box behind glass objects and personal artifacts assembled on a mirror. I intuitively arrange the objects until the image through the lens evokes thoughts and emotions that feel like they are coming from my subconscious. By focusing on the glass objects and leaving the background vague and hazy, the contrast between the sharply focused glass and the dreamy background becomes a metaphor for the conscious and subconscious mind.
Waterlines
I love to stare at the ocean and observe the ripples and reflections. The water is mesmerizing especially at the end of the day before the sun sets. In Gloucester, where I live, the harbor is full of working fishing boats. Their brightly colored hulls reflected in the water create beautiful abstract patterns, always moving and alive. Waterlines are snippets, glances, moments frozen in time of the always changing space where the boat touches the sea.
Double Vision
This series often memorializes an iconic building or neighborhood. I use the technique of blending an overall view of a neighborhood or building with a close-up view of the surrounding texture, to fully capture the essence of place. Many of the images are carried further by collaging pieces of the montaged photograph onto wood substrates and adding texture and other elements, creating one-of-a-kind mixed media pieces. |
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