Scopophilia – Artist Statement

My interest in photography is split. It is split between social documentation and an investigation in the medium itself. The people used in this installation were collected through an add on Craigslist that read “Fine art photographer looking for nude models for project, both men and women, all ages (over 18) and body types.”  I photographed any person interested in participating.  I was interested in the variation of people I could collect through the use of the Internet.  I had no previous relationship with any of the subjects.

By working with photographic emulsion on canvas, I create images that show the mark of the artist’s hand yet retain the immediate emotional quality of a photograph.  The surface and size of the prints become an important aspect of the work as well as the content of the actual photograph. The brushstrokes of the application of photographic emulsion create an additional element of emotion in the form of a physical gesture, not usually present in photography.  The life-size scale of the figures and their placement on the floor as opposed to the wall creates a tension between the audience and the photography as they look down upon them.

With this work, my intent is that the viewer approaches the photography not just as a representation of another place or time, but also as a unique irreproducible objects that interact within a space.  My desire is for these figures to take on a physical aura and presence not usually experienced in the viewing of figurative photography.

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Lexington Art League 2010