Abstract Photo-Paintings 2018

This series of photos is the result of a hybrid process blending photography and painting. I create these temporary works over long periods of time by physically manipulating the elements as if applying paint to a canvas. Only after many hours of adding elements, shifting them around, and adjusting the lighting, do my images fully materialize. Using this hybrid photo-painting process, I create abstract images from things that many people might throw away or walk past without noticing...tufts of animal hair, pieces of glass, dried up sticks, dirt and sand. These elements and more make up my artist's palette. Looking at the final assemblage with bare eyes, it's hard to recognize anything of significance. All one can see is a dingy pile of hair, paper, sticks, glass and dirt. But staring through the camera lens reveals a new and beautiful world. I click the shutter to reveal the abstract beauty hidden within the pile of debris. After committing the image to the camera, I destroy the assemblage and re-purpose the materials for the next creation.