Statements

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Time/Motion Studies

I have always loved dance and movement. As a child I was constantly in motion, dancing to the Beatles or pretending to be a ballerina. Even when seemingly at rest I "moved." I would lie on the living room couch, staring up at the cathedral ceiling, dreaming of the world upside-down. As an adult, I still have a fascination with motion and time: I am a child at heart, evidenced by my large collection of wind-up toys.

I fell in love with the late 19th century human locomotion photographic experiments of Etienne Jules-Marey, Eadweard Muybridge, and others and started experimenting with the moving film stroboscopy technique of shooting motion. After many "happy accidents" I came up with my own version of time/motion studies, using the nude figure as a subject as well as a foil.

I love the implied motion, the stopping of time, and the liminal spaces with abstract patterns created by photographic alchemy. I have examined the idea of motion and reality and seeing the unseen: What exists and yet cannot be perceived by the naked eye. Through the use of multiple imagery the photographs reveal images that display surreal, dreamlike themes and moods, explore time, and produce on a flat surface, multi-dimensional creations in time and space. There are virtually limitless visual possibilities inherent in these techniques.

LED Cyanotypes

Currently I have been making LED mixed-media cyanotypes on silk, exploring the theme of light as a metaphor for truth, revelation and understanding. The light reveals the multiple layers of collaged and sandwiched negatives, positives, and cyanotypes on silk, similar to an x-ray. The work is constantly evolving, and my creative process is somewhere between a stream of consciousness and a waking dream.

Earlier LED mixed-media cyanotypes were smaller, multi-themed pieces and these newer ones are much larger. I am experimenting with wet cyanotypes in my new series "Sea/Me" using aquatic subject matter including prehistoric looking sea creatures (squid, octopi, skates, jellyfish, etc.), seaweed, and algae. This series is a nod to Anna Atkins and also inspired by fond childhood memories of beachcombing and swimming with my mother in Provincetown.

Small & Large Cyanotypes on Fabric

I have been making cyanotypes for many years and have always loved the idea of mixing this 19th century process with 21st century digital technology and printing on non-traditional/unexpected surfaces such as fabric (cotton, dyed cotton, silk, velvet, etc.).

I primarily like working in the sunlight to expose the fabric and make photograms (putting objects directly on the surface), use negatives, or draw onto acetate, and sometimes combine all three methods. I use everyday household objects, toys, dollhouse furniture, and plants. I’ve also used photographic negatives of beachcombing objects, figure studies and sculpture as subject matter.

Still Lives on Fabric

“Still Lives” began as a series of figurative cyanotype photographs on fabric of classical sculpture from museums and art spaces. The sculptures are frozen in time/static, literally “still lives,” revealing little else but their forms. The blue of the cyanotype adds to their "cold" stillness.

Cyanotype Sculpture

“Still Lives” evolved into a series of three-dimensional, collaged mannequin sculptures, using the figure as a subject as well as a foil. The figures are collaged with cyanotype photographs of miscellaneous objects, and along with the collaged cyanotypes, the mannequins are veritable pin cushions stuck with decorative pins, acupuncture needles, wrapped with rope, etc. They are more narrative, exposed, and cerebral in nature and explore subjects such as astronomy, self-portrait, psychological themes, etc. The mannequins “wear” their stories on the surface, inviting the viewer to experience their own interpretation.

Sculptural “Still Lives” morphed into explorations of time, motion, and dreams, first using manual turntables and then motorized turntables. A veritable “back to the future” for me, re-examining earlier themes used in my time/motion studies.

The cyanotype egg series is the next exploration of my cyanotype sculptures.

Miscellaneous

This category is a mixture of several types of artwork that either don’t fit into any of the other categories, or defy categorization.

While I was working on the book “Lost and Found: Time, Tide, and Treasures” I became intrigued by sand patterns, algae, and seaweed. The images were so compelling we used them in our book, and then I started to make larger pieces in a sand grid series.

I also have some of the first cyanotypes and Van Dyke Browns that I made many years ago with a UV exposure unit. They are printed on paper and are mainly nude figures and architecture.

There will be other images added, so stay tuned…