Final Images for show

Shop

Pharmacy

House

Gas Station

(24x18in)

2nd Critique on 3/12/10

This second time around I felt was much more helpful than the 1st critique. On the 1st my thoughts were still fuzzy on what I wanted to accomplish and how to communicate my ideas. But I have come a long way since then. This second critique helped me put the final touches on my project that I was struggling with/felt unsure about. The overall reaction to my pieces seemed very positive. I appreciated the constructive criticism regarding the variety of color tones and various back grounds. Some of you were content but those who were not made me see my work in a new light providing me the ability to improve them as I make the final pieces. Overall the critique gave me the confidence to present my work in the gallery.

update... I have constructed stands to display each piece. There will be one stand per piece. It is constructed with square aluminum tubing mounted between a ground plate and a top piece to hold the image. I prefer the stand rather than mounting to the wall because it steps the image away from the wall and the stand holds the image in a tilted position allowing the viewer a closer look.

update: new image

this image will replace my photo of the church

update

possible 5 final images

digital prints mounted to acrylic-painted acrylic-plastic sheets

18x24in

"Post Invasion"

update feb 25h

Here is a shot of a building printout already cut out from the negative space. The next stage is adhering this to a prepped/painted sheet of acrylic plastic. These plastic sheets will depict the background and foreground with acrylic paint. I have decided to show 5 pieces. More updates soon!

6 possible choices

Pharmacy

House

Gas Station

Church

Town Hall

Shop

update

Links to my work, scattered around the web. In addition to this blog, I will be updating my personal/public online archives with images from thesis...

http://gallery.me.com/jsblaine99

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blaine-Photography/70446880668

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31089293@N03/

Thesis Critique #1 on 2/12/10

Proposal Update:

As of the day of this critique I have reached a state that is very close to finding my final design. In the fall semester, over winter break and up until a few weeks ago I have been throwing around ideas in my head and in note form, but never really getting anywhere. Once I finally decided to stop torturing myself and simply pick up my camera, head out in my truck to photo whatever catches my eye, it finally clicked. I have decided to depict a variety of random buildings in an abstracted form. The buildings are digitally cutout and airbrushed, printed on matte, then the foreground and background are painted in, further enhancing the illusion of abstraction and isolation creating a completely surreal image.

Another reason for painstakingly painting each image is to make a statement about digital reproduction. It's obvious to most that the ability to mass produce digital images significantly decreases their individual value. We live in an era where anyone with internet access can steal and reproduce almost anything that can be stored digitally. Adding a layer of acrylic paint by brush to the surface of the digital printout makes the piece individual again, something that cannot be reproduced and devalued. Competition in the world of digital photography is immense, this is an attempt to separate myself from others and show the element of the human hand in my work. The inspiration to add paint to digital prints came from a personal role model, Gottfried Helnwein.

Critique #1:

The critique in my opinion went well. Though I was not fully prepared to explain my work, I was however prepared with three rough prints to demonstrate what I am attempting. The feedback was positive but left me in a state where I do not know where to go from here based on the critique alone. Luckily I prepared plans on how to finish my work. After sharing this with the group it was clear I should attempt it. That plan being presenting this work in an alternate form. Instead of printing on matte, the shots will be printed on transparency film and presented on a vertical light-box frame. There are many variations to this idea; (1) print a solid image on film, show on a light-box, (2) print only building cutout on film, hang approx 3 inches from a painted canvas of an abstracted sky and ground, use florescent tube light around perimeter to illuminate film and canvas, (3) the final idea is to print the cutout on film, then paint the void with a transparent paint or ink, then presenting on light-box.