Collage 2020
Over the years I have worked on a diversity of photographic problems, sometimes photographing out in the world and other times photographing in the studio. I value the dialogue that those two modes provide and how they influence one another. I had been working on a project, one out in the world with crowds of people in small enclosed interior spaces. And then COVID 19 showed up. The danger was very real so I ended that project. I’ve been in self-imposed isolation for months and anticipate this continuing for an indeterminate amount of time. I am keeping to myself and limiting myself to my studio work.
As I shifted from working out in the world to working solely in the studio, I began a body of work titled Collage 2020. I began tearing up work prints and proof prints that I usually toss into the recycling bin but instead, began making collages with the torn pieces. I photographed the pieces and combined and processed the images using a computer. The work relies on the role of my subconscious. Inside there is a mix. Of clarity and confusion. Insight and neurosis. Joy and sadness. Happiness and despair. More questions than answers, the photographs offer a glimpse into my life, both directly through their subject matter and metaphorically through their style. It’s a strange and disturbing time for me but I am grateful to have something that feels valuable to focus on and that provides me with gratification.
