Creativity, Dreamy Moments and the  Aluminum Prints

As Robert Adams says, “some art is meant, I think, to help us as we rest, as we get ready to go out again… Art is a discovery of harmony, a vision of disparities reconciled, of shape beneath confusion."
 
My own photography grew out of an interest to do something creative for myself, rather give my career all my creativity.  Then the vision got refined with my photography being about capturing moments of reality that could become a place to explore, a spot of quiet solitude, a place where the mind could venture rather than just a specific time and locale.  That is part of the reason I find the infrared light so interesting.  It makes the photographs a little dreamy and ethereal -- a place where we can rest and maybe rejuvenate a little.
 
Anxious, Panic, then Ecstatic. The New Dye-sublimation Aluminum Prints: As I mentioned in the last newsletter, I was anxious about the black and white infrared photos printed using dye-sublimation on clear gloss aluminum.  Would they be an exciting and new dreamy perspective or too "out there" to make sense? 

That artistic anxiety became a practical panic when it appeared the aluminum prints had not arrived at ArtExpo and I would have to rethink the exhibit without them.  In the last few minutes as the exhibit was in the midst of being completely re-configured and installed, the prints were found in a hallway. Apparently, the FedEx driver got confused or lazy and left the crate in some obscure place, failing to deliver them to the receiving dock and have someone sign for them. 
 
 The panic subsided. The crate was opened and I was stunned and ecstatic with the new format.  These large aluminum prints ("Cactus in the Sky" is 30'' x 45'') bring a whole new dreamy effect -- they change from silver to white as the light reflection changes and depending on where you stand.  They also have a 3D characteristic, again depending on the viewing position…making it feel like you are part of, and in, the picture -- a little like resting there and getting ready to go out again.

A Look at the Aluminum Prints

Thanks for letting me share with you the aluminum prints journey over the past few newsletters. The irony of these photo prints is that no photos of the aluminum prints do them justice.  You have to see them and experience them in person...something I personally experienced having ordered them and did not see them until they arrived at ArtExpo.  I was really taken by them and everyday I liked them more and more.  I showed them to a gallery this week and they also found them amazing. 

The two images (above and below) are an attempt to show you both the white and silver in the black and white print.  If you look carefully at the flowers on the cactus you get a bit of a feel of the 3D quality. 

If you are interested in experiencing an aluminum print, a small size sample print can be shipped to you at cost to assist you in making decisions about a larger one. I am also doing the aluminum prints as very small limited editions or in some cases as single editions (i.e.1 of 1).

Four Things Worth a Look 
Places to Grow, Learn and Reflect

1. “Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable” streaming on PBS.  Winogrand created an encyclopedic portrait of America from the late 1950s to the early 1980s.  When he died suddenly at age 56, Winogrand left behind more than 10,000 rolls of film – more than a quarter of a million pictures. He is known for saying “The photo is a thing in itself. And that’s what still photography is all about.” And “I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed.” Related, when I was in New York I was thrilled to see this Kertesz exhibit at Silverstein gallery.
 
2. Buying Art Online: People are becoming more confident in buying art online as the online art market grows.  And if you ever order a print from me and have second thoughts about the print versus the digital image you saw, I will absolutely work with you to ensure you get a print that speaks to you.
 
3. Is the Photography Market Sleepy—Or Just Getting Started? Here Are 3 Trends Investment-Minded Collectors should know. In a related story, the AIPAD photography show boasts record attendance and draws strong reviews.
 
4. "It doesn't come out worth a damn if you're not having a good time doing it," notes color photography pioneer Robert Eggleston in an interview accompanying his new show.  Known for how he isolates things we would not commonly look twice at, such as an open freezer, ceiling cables trailing towards a light bulb, or heated hair rollers on top of a lavatory. Simple, you think. Then: too simple, as if maybe you are being tricked.