Views from Montrose and Belmont Harbors, Chicago, IL

The Location: Montrose Harbor and Belmont Harbor in Chicago are solidified in my heart and mind. Being in close proximity to my apartment, I'm fortunate enough to be able to walk to one or the other or both whenever I please. I used to take walks to the harbors for the purpose of getting out of my apartment and getting some fresh air. But the purpose has shifted somewhat. It's no longer about stretching my legs, it's about furthering my relationship with the harbors. It's about hearing the ice creaking in the Winter and hearing the boats musically clanking while docked in the Summer. It's about enjoying the differences in the foliage in the Fall and Spring. It's about experiencing the changes day to day, season to season. The Technique: All of my images are photographs. I digitally distort and rearrange the information presented in each area of the photo using displacement maps. Although, my technique doesn't necessarily fall in line with the traditional use of Displacement. The result maintains the original photographic identity, while creating a final image unique in character. The Purpose of the Technique: These images are exaggerations of reality. They romanticize moments from my life. The idea is that they reflect what my life might possibly look like through the eyes of an Impressionist. When I see art from the masters of Impressionism I can always imagine myself existing in their scenes of city life, cafes, train depots, beach sides, etc. So when I create an image, and with the techniques that I use, I’m giving myself the opportunity to see what my life would look like if one of the greats of Impressionism had captured me in their scene. Yet, the images are still from my personal viewpoint. The purpose isn’t to create images that exactly copy the look and style of the era of Impressionism. But I do want to convey a cooperative sense of reality and fantasy existing together. To me, the images create a sense of viewing the past, a sense of something familiar, but not definite. Photography captures a very small moment in time, but my hope is that the distortion I use pushes beyond that reality and warps that idea of time and recognition. The final goal, in its purest form, would be that the image allows the viewer to momentarily live outside of their own personal reality and sense of time. Just as I do when viewing the works of the Impressionists.