Into the park

Rochester Institute of Technology

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Thesis/Dissertation Collections

2004

Into the park

Joel Lederer

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Into the Park

Submitted in partial consideration of a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Photography

Joel Lederer

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY 2004

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Introduction

Mythesis exhibition, "DowntheStreetandIntothePark," wastheculminationof

several yearsI spent_exploringthe subject oflandscapeand_makingimages_wandering

and_{getting lost in ideas} andinpictures. Althoughthiswork exploresthe subject of

nature,makingtheimageswas perhaps the_only "natural"_thingaboutthe work.Though

thereweretherequisite_leaves, rocks and_{dirt,I eventually} realizedthat_{nothing I}

photographedwas _really

"natural,"

but simplypropsfor my imagery.

Theexhibition dealtwiththeorganiclandscape fromtheperspective of one who had

never_{really left}thecity.Thework presents visual ideasof whatthe landscapemeantto

me and,hopefully,to others. In_{this paper,} Iexplain theprocess of_makingthework: the

ideasand referencesthatI cultivated while_working,and_myvisual methods and

metaphors. I hopethatit gives someinsight intonot_only whatIwas_thinkingaboutbut

alsohowthework progressed.

Growingup inan urban environment colored_myview ofthelandscape. _Cities, with

their neighborhoods, beachesand lakesweretome objects withtheirown_{individuality}

and character.Outofthe _citywerethefarmer's _market,summer_camp, Santa's_Village,

national _parks,andtheme parks,whichdeveloped formethis notion oftheplace as an

object._Only

"nature"

asthe generic we call_it,was a greener and lesspopulated object

than the_city orthe beach. Naturewas a placetowhich youhadto _drive,a place where

the_monotonyoftreesand_sky was overshadowed_bymosquitoes and thelackof urban

amenities.

Myearly education at aZionist grammar schoolinChicago, withits discussions

about a promised land_(Israel) thatneeded mefor itsredemption, transformed the ideaof

theland-as-objectintotheland-as-idea. Inschool, Iwould watch movies about_Israel,

wherethepeople lookedlikemebut actedanddressed differently. _Theyweredepicted

wearinggymclothes,_pickingoranges_{from trees, carrying}weapons and the

cinematography represented themwithinthis specific environment.

As goodZionistschoolchildren,we weretaughtabouttheimportanceofthisland.

Givingit assistance was a serious missiontobeembraced with pride. Ouractivities

included collecting money fortree planting,andI would proposition_my

parents' friends

forthis _worthycause.Although I couldn'tquite_grasp atthatageits_importance,I knew it

was a_mandatoryandsomehow beneficialcause.Now theideaoftheland-as-object was

expandedintothatof an objectthatwasdesigned andfunded_by good people. _{Like any}

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constructioneffort was under way. _Ironically,I discoveredyearslaterthat this ideawas

mostly correct.

Due to_{these activities,} naturehadcometorepresent_somethingthatone "did"

either

forrelaxation,asinvacation spots(Miami was also natureto me_{heatandhumidity,}

and alargeexpansive_sky providedtheatmosphere), shopping for betterproduce(the

farmer'smarketoutside ofChicago hadexcellent_{blueberries),} ortolearnaboutthepast

(AmishAcresprovided ahistorical setting foractorsto _{dress up in}period costumes and

re-enact scenesfromthepast).Aswell, my ideasof naturehad becomesynonymous with

a_refuge; and onethatneeded usfor its defense.

Withtheseideas_{fermentingthroughout adolescence,}I decided tomovetoIsraelat

theage of22 (after receiving myundergraduatedegree in New York City). I had, over

those years, learnedmore aboutIsraelandthelanguage ofitspeople. While Iunderstood

thatitwas similartoother placesin the world,I stillhad theidea thatIsraelwasthe

paradigm of

"nature,"

andthat_bymovingthere Iwouldbecome more"natural".

I _{had mostly felt}thatIsraelwouldbea good placeformeto _{developmyphotography,}

away fromthefamiliarcities ofAmerica andina contextthatheld differentaesthetic

possibilities and problems.As aresult, most ofthephotographs Imade _duringmy seven

yearstherecenter aroundthe_relationshipofthenatural to theman-made.Thisis because

theurban areastherewere_{built-upquickly} and without much aesthetic consideration.

Theaccidentallookofthe streets andbuildingsofTel-Avivseemedtomimic aforestor

jungle whosedesignwas pragmatic and unconcerned withitsaesthetic appearance.

Unlike New York_CityorChicago I feltasthoughIwas_{photographing}untamed nature.

I could make_something outofthis material,something otherthana mere representation

oftheobjectthatitwas.

The"natural" areas ofIsrael ontheother_hand,withtheir trees that I had helpedfund,

seemeddesignedand manicured. _Theywereessentially, and_literally,parks._Thus, the

natural seemedman-made, andthe artificial seemed natural. Itthenbecame my task to

exploreand recordthe lookofthingsfromwithinthisframeof reference. In _hindsight,

this _startingpointwasinspired _bymyown_journeyforself-understanding. _My

"quest"

had beenalwaystofinda sense of_harmony between my environmentand myself. What I

had labeled"man-made" and

"natural"

essentiallymeant "me"

and"the

Universe."

My techniquewasinspired_byreadings onTaoism andZenBuddhism. Ifeltthat the

way tomakephotographswasto deconstructtheconcepts and visionthatIhad been

taught, and attempt tobecomeunified within_my surroundings. I feltthatif I could

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harmonywith_my environmentand_ultimatelywithin_myown mind. Iwasinspiredinthis

quest_bythe words oftheTao Te Ching:

Attainthe climax_ofemptiness,

Preservethe utmost quiet:

Asmyriadthingsactinconcert,

I_therebyobservethereturn.

Things_flourish,

Theneach returnstoitsroot.

Returning to therootiscalledstillness:

Stillness iscalled returnto_Life,

Returnto life iscalledthe constant;

Knowingthe constantiscalled

Pre-Thesis Work

After arriving attheRochester Instituteof_Technologyforgraduate studiesin

PhotographyI continuedtoexplorea project I had begun in Israel: anexplorationofthe

twomostelemental organic_subjects, skies and sea. _{The images from my first}quarter's

review were small black-and-whiteimages oflandscape_elements,pairedincoupletsto

givean expressionofhuman interaction. The objectsthatI photographedwere meantto

representlarger opposing actionsalways at work: _comingtogetherand_{splittingapart,}

entering and_{exiting, covering}andrevealing.This seemedtomethenatural progression

of_mywork: therhythmand essence ofthelandscape. Ineededtocontinue withthat

ritual of_{makingimages,}though_myclassmates and professorsfelt differently.

Inthatfirstcritique,my finalproduct appeared toreviewersto betoo_familiar,too

straight-edgedand nostalgic. _Landscape,Iwas_told, was a"dead" subject thatheld little

interest forthe_contemporaryart_scene,whose concerns weredifferentand more specific.

Thecritique directedmeto a place whereIwasn't_comfortable, where _myabilities would

beputto the test._Yes,thefinalresults weretooderivative, yetI couldn't agreethat the

subject oflandscapewas trivial.Theappearance ofthelandand ourinteraction withitare

subjects _worthyof aesthetic contemplation as well as_beingofhistorical importance.

There was one picturefromthefirstquarter's portfoliothatledmeto shift_my

approachto thissubject._{While photographing} atthelakeone_day,Ihad become

frustrated_thinkingabout_everythingthatwas_wrongwith_my subject matterand,forthat

matter, my photographyoverall. Outofthisfrustration I began_throwingrocksintothe

water, andto _mysurpriseIthenbeganto see picturesintheconcentric ringsthatwere

made onthesurface ofthe still _water,and made severalimages. In the_followingweek's

critique,my classmateBrian_Emerycommentedthat these images illustrated how forthe

firsttimeI had interactedwith_my subjectina physical way. Itwas an epiphanic moment

forme,whichledmeto realizethat thenext _{step in my} photographicdevelopmentwasto

incorporatethemark of_my ownhand intotheimagery.

My second quarter work revolved_heavilyaroundthis_idea, and was a combination of

thephotographsI had been_takingandthe _{sketching I} woulddo formyself. I had begun

touseAdobe_Photoshoptomakeimagesthatmimickedthe process ofhand painting on

photographs,atechniqueI had learned from Jill EnfieldatParsons School ofDesign.

These digital images combined natural elements: branches, iceand_shrubbery, withflat

colorfieldswhose purpose wasto hideanddisguisethenaturaland place themwithinthe

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transformingit fromaphotographintoabstracted"painting."Objective formwas

flattened-out,andthe subject was_heavilymanipulated.

As Iwas _{experimenting}withtheprocess of_{combining photography}and

drawing_{someimages appeared as}

photographsbut wereinessencedrawn (as inthe

blue-print_branches), and someappearedasdrawings butwerein factphotographs(as in

theice).

ItappearedthatI was_attemptingtousetheseimagesas_hieroglyphs; theforms _they

tookseemedtomimic crude drawingsof animals ortopography. Some looked asthough

painthad been scratched _awaytoreveal_{something hidden}and otherslookedasthough

theobjectwas_being obscuredintentionally. The drawingswere primitive andtheir

strokeserratic;_theymimickedtheappearance ofdoodles or sketches. I begantorealize

theconnectionbetween sketchinganddraftwriting; bothweretimelessmeans of

recording. I had feltthat something,as yet_undefined,was_starting tohappen.

IntheendI had founda method and_technique,and perhaps made couple of good

images,yetthemessage seemed unclear.Atthat_{time, my}professorElliott Rubenstein

toldmethat_my goal shouldbetofinda reason_{for combining}thismethod with_my

subject, therebycreatinga meansfortheirco-existence.

Ostensibly,mynew process was an experimentthatIafforded myselfinan attemptto

learn some ofthenew _technology,and was urged_bymyprofessorstocontinue. Professor

Ostermanencouraged metofindaritual inthisprocessthat_hopefullywouldleadmeto

an enlightened_view,and _subsequently tomore evolved work.Itwashissimple and

timelessadvicethatprovided methecomfort and confidence tocontinueinthese

uncharted waters. Professor Weiss hadasked meifwhatIwas_making were photographs.

I toldhim that_{I really didn't}know,andhis reply wasthatitmightbe a goodideatofind

out. Though Ihadnoideaas towhathemeant,itsomehow stuck with me.

I was unsure wheretogo next. Ihada_method, butwas uncertain asto howthat

should manifestitself intheimagery. Iknew thatI wantedto continue withthelandscape

as a_subject, and sobegantocreate more_heavilymanufactured_scenerywith more

obvious manipulations.I continuedwiththe"cutout"

style as well asthe_"drawing on

technique"

while also _beginningtore-form objects themselves.

As Icontinuedtoevolvethis process, Icametounderstand thatwhatI had been

makingwere allegorical representations ofhowwe view thelandscape. _{Symbolically,}it

representedour_culturally manufactured method ofhow welookatthe land. The images

werean exploration oftheman-altered environment. Perhaps makingtheseimages from

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a

was_{built-up by}human handsand_machines, our means of_{regarding it}wasformed_by

equally human ideas and_memories,televisionand other cultural media, stories and

heritage. Inother_words, our visionis colored_bythemessagesthatsurround us. Mostof

all,Iwantedthese ideastobeas accessible astheland.

Itwasimportant formeto show howtheideaoflandscapesboth urban and

rural_{had become depersonalizedandhomogenous. Ourexpectations of what we see}

becamewhat we _{see; the}images replacedthe worlditself. Picturesare sometimesbetter

than reality;they couldgive usthe_feelingof experience withoutthe burdenof

experiencing it directly. Withtheseconcepts _beginningto takeshape_mythesiswork

"The RootsScroll"

14x188 inches

Inkjeton parchment paper

The Roots Scroll

The Roots Scroll isperhapsthe mostdirectvisual descendentof_{my first}year's work atRIT. Itcontainedtheaforementionedsubtractive_(cut-out) processto_digitallyfuse photographyand_drawingwhile_makinga more overt statement aboutthesubject matter

anditsprecedentsinart.Throughthe process of_makingthispicture_(longhours of

careful"cutting"and"connecting" in Adobe_{Photoshop), my interests in Zen Buddhism}

andTaoism becameevident. In_hindsight,theprocess of_makingtheimagewas a

metaphorforthefinal image itselftherewas _somethingthatIneededtounearthinorder

toadvance myselfto thenextlevel. Theprocess of_{digging away}attherootsI beganto

pairthepictures content withits_language; itshowed thepoints I hadwantedto express.

Thiswas quite a realizationforme;not_{only infinding} a new method of_makingpictures,

but becausearmed withthisnew technique the correlation of subject and medium would combinetogivethepictures theirsignificance. Itappears now that throughProfessor Osterman'sadvise_concerningtheritual, I hadaddressedProfessor Rubenstein'sconcerns about syntax_conflictingwith subject matter.

Myprior educationin photography hadcentered on questions of subject matter and

itspresentation. _Abandoningthis traditional approachdirectedmeto seethatdigital

representation allowed metocreate_my ownconceptuallandscapes. In theRoots_Scroll, I

placedthetree rootswithin a religious(torahscroll)contextinordertopresentitssubject as _carryingspiritual weight.

To manyculturesofantiquity, a tree'sroots representedtheroots of our contact with

theGodhead. Trees have special significancein manyculturesfromtheneareast,

probably dueto theirrelative scarcity.Tree worship had becomecommon practicein whichthe tree was consideredtheabodeofthedeity. Offerings werelaid atthe tree's

baseand on its

branches.2

InAncient_Egypt, severaltypes oftreesappearin mythology and art(althoughthehieroglyph _signifyingthe treeappears to_specificallyrepresentthe

sycamore)._Accordingto the BookoftheDead,twin sycamores stood attheeastern gate

ofheavenfromwhichthesun godRa emergedeach morning.TheGreek Godswere

traditionally bornatthefootof atree,andSiddhartha had gained perfect wisdom while

sittingunderthe bodhitree.

Yet, closestto _myown cultural_historyarethe treesoftheJewishtradition. The Kabalisticnotionbasesthecreationoftheworlduponthe ten sefiroth(aspects ofthe

creator).Thesesefiroth are writtenconcepts suchas_{love, judgement, wisdom,will,} etc.

They serve asthebackbone (the_roots)of allthatis_manifest, and areorganized uponthe

"cosmictree:"

the structurethatholds God'saspectsinplace.

"/ am the one who planted this tree for all the world to

delight in. With it Ispanned _{the all, calling it all,}for all

depends on _it, all emanatesfrom _it, all need _it, all gaze upon itand awaitit.From heresouls_flyforth in

joy."3

Within theRoots Scroll isahiddenlandscapetheunseen structure ofthenatural

world.JustastheUniversewas constructed upon conceptsinthe_{kabalistic tradition,} also

echoedinthe Christian_beliefs4,treeroots representtheconcept of a spherethatbinds us

toour past.Thistransforms theobjectinto a collective place.Words such as

"religious,"

"cultural," "ancestral,"

and"spiritual sect,"

followed_bythe word"root(s)"evokea_strong

connotationof a pasttowhich we are_historically connected. _{For my}generation,

however, thisconcepthasalways been precariouslyperched.

Having grown_{up watching Sesame Street}ontelevisioninstilled inus a poly-cultural

sense of respectforallpeoples,histories,and lifestyles. Weweretaught tosee ourselves

as_fully autonomousbeings boundtoademocratic philosophy whichleveledall notions

of religion and_belongingto an equal_{playing field. Our}culture anditsvariedreligions

were considered _secondarytoour status as citizens. Ourreligion wasto becelebrated

with certain_holiday ritualsthatweleft buriedaway,hiddenfrom _dayto_dayview.Fora

televisionculturelikeminethisplan seemedtowork well.

Ourculturaliconswerebroughttousinthelanguageoftelevision._They gaveus,

figures such asCookie Monsterand_{BigBird, along}withthegenerational motto The

MostImportantPersoninthe World is You. Whilethis_philosophy seems noble and

virtuous,itclashed withtherealitiesoftheAmericancultural landscapeofthe time: war

in Vietnam and economicinflation. Thenostalgic

"revival"

ofthe 1950sgrewfromthe

sense that thepast was abetterplace,where values such as_familyand organized religion

were more _deeply ingrainedintheindividual'spsyche.In 1970_GaryMarshall createdthe

televisionshow _HappyDays,in responseto this situation.Itfilledtheindividual's need

fora collective identityineffectitreplaced culture withhistory,and _historypresented

in30-minutesegments was_easily consumed._Thus,

"Retro"

culturewasbornandthepast

was giventous as a virtual place of refuge.

Althoughretro culture was perhaps a new phenomenoninpopularmedia, thisconcept

was_already well establishedin thearts. Idealized landscapesoftheBaroqueperiodused

historyand _mythologyas subject matter and portrayedtheminArcadian5

surroundings.

Sceneswere stagedin dreamlike and poetic states.Characters were presented with

primitivetraitsandchildlike attitudes,self-engrossedlooksand contented poses. _They

loungedaroundinan eternalspringtime offreelove. Thesimilaritiesbetween Arcadia

freedom from earthlyperil. The_key difference lies inthatEdenwas a place tobe

someday regained andarcadia was a placethatwasforever lost. Ineithercase, the

presentheldpromisefor_darkness,withthe Eden/Arcadia ideal forescape. Inthevisual _arts,idealized landscapes "stage"

a scene whosebackgroundand

lighting suggestan attitude of_{deepnostalgia;} a_longingfor freedom fromsuffering.

Claude Lorrain'scompositionsare almostformulaic intheiruse ofdarkfoliageor rocks

onthesides ofthe_{image,leading}the eyeto theclearlightand_{airy distance. The} view

beingpresentediscleanerandtamerthan natureitself. Human figures inthecomposition

rangefrom smallto miniscule so astoelevate thesignificance ofthe_{setting from}

atmosphereto subject.

Among the_present-dayexamples ofthisUtopian aesthetic model,Trancemusic hasa

similar motive.Ittoo elevatesthe_melody ofthemusic to the status of message and

almost eliminates thelyrics._Taking itscuesfromtheBeatles'returnfrom India inthe

late _1960s,Trancemusic uses eastern and primitive rhythms asits inspirationas was also

theimpetus for hippie fashion. Themembers ofTrancemusic culture adorn themselvesin

child-likeclothes, sometimes_wearing pacifiers and_carrying stuffed animals. Its_forum,

the_Rave,is based onthe_{Happening motif,}where largecongregationscelebrate overfull

moonweekends innatural settingsforoutdoor_dancing andindulgence in drugs. The

themesof_{Peace, Love, Unity,} andRespect

(PLUR)6

are_keyconcepts to_Trancers;

echoingpsychedelicculture while_{addingcontemporary}political correctness.

Most_strikingtome aboutthecurrent retro movementis how it is wholly lifted from

another era'scounterculture.The mainstreamingof retro cultureintoday'scommercial

market(showpic of pt_cruiser) seemstorepresenta_{strong desire}toreturn to a simpler

wayoflife. Today'ssense of cultural vaguenessis_beingfedandfattened_bya general

apathyand a sensethat thefuture will notbesuch_"Happy

Days."

In anycase, theRootsScroll is both homageto ourquestfor insightand admonition

of ourblindness. I wantedtopresenttherootsas amanuscriptdocument on parchment

papertomarktheresemblance in formto the structure of ancientand untranslatabletexts.

Creating anexample of

"authentica"

(something madeto lookfake_{by symbolizing}the

real_thing)which alsodrewfromtheZenandTaoistbooks Ihadread.

The jadedcynicismthat keptmefrom acceptingthereligious aspects ofthese

teachingswasenlightening. As I hadexpressed,Zen teachingswere philosophical

frameworks fromwhichI tried topracticetheartofphotography. Zenshowed me a

different wayof_making sense of what can seemlike anillogical pursuit.Itwas a set of

beliefs,whichprovided acompassionate_{understanding} of art_making,whose purpose

the_channelingofideasand craftinto a productdevoidof extraneous information;e.g.,

strippingthe essential rootsfromtheirbackground.

A goal ofZen isto_{find any} essence.In mycaseit isthe essenceofformandidea

alongwith aframeworkto cope withthepanic andlossof_daily life. I see nowthat

althoughthe tenetsofZenarehelpful and sometimesprofound, thesearchforessenceis a

hindranceto_findingit. The questforanideal is actuallyanti-Zen, yetthissame

pilgrimageis considered a virtue_by our nostalgicculture_its

goal _being thereturntoa

betterpast.Ifeel that this quest, while_charming, isnihilisticand_whollyunproductive.

Theroots scrollis meanttospeaktoall of usin alanguageweinvented ourselves.

Shuryu Suzukisaid:

"Ifan artist becomes too idealistic, he will commitsuicide, because the _gap between his ideal and his actual _ability

there is a great gap. Because there is no bridge _long

enoughto goacross the gap,hewillbegin todespair. That

is the usual spiritual way. But our spiritual _way is not so

idealistic."7

"The Interconnected Branches InteriorMural"

The Interconnected Branches Interior Mural

WhiletheRoots Scrollwas meanttoserve as a symbol forone's nostalgic searchfor

an_ideal, the conditions_spawningthisphenomenonare representedintheInterconnected

Branches oftheinteriormural. Printedon wallpaper and pastedto the wall, this8x 10

foot image plays withthe viewer'srelationtohissurroundings. It has becomea popular

idea intheculture ofpostmodernism(thanks inpartto the_philosophyofKarl_Marx) that

our_contemporaryeconomic situationhasplayedalarge roleintheindividual's

conception ofthe self withinhisenvironment. For_{example, the}advent oftherailroad and

theautomobile engine created a world much smaller andfarmore accessiblethanit had

beena_{century before. The contemporary landscape is defined largelyby}thespeed in

which we passthroughit. In today's_technologywithits high-speed Internetconnections

and variations on_telephony, we are ableto transcend spatial barriersas well astime

delay. This_technologyhas broughtto our_economywider coverage andless dependence

upon physical presence.We are more concerned withthe changes_occurring inmarkets

outside our ownimmediacy. The phenomenon ofglobalization,_followingthe

abandonment ofthe gold _standard, instigatedthede-materializationof physicaldistance.

Thisphenomenon canbeseenin toady's_floatingexchangerates where all currencies are

nowinterconnected. Likeitor_not,industrializednationsareinthis together.

WhiletheideaoftheGlobal Villageis a clichein itsemphasison_{community, the}

conditionsthatcreatedit greatlyaffecttheindividual.Our disconnectionfromplace

engineersanenvironment_lackingboththe_physicalityand_grounding ofplace.Justasthe

lackof_gravitycausesosteoporosisinastronauts,Globalismcreatesa universalized

societythathas little regardfortheprevious

generations'

centers of culture.This lackofa

central urbanlandscaperesultsinurbansprawl._Traffic,thelackofsidewalks, and gated

communitiesareallthe productsofthegloballandscapewhosephysical connections

create alackofsocial connection.

ThebranchesoftheMural lullthe viewerintoafalsesense of comfort. Iwas _very

happytohearpeopletellmethatittook them_upto30minutesof_being aroundtheimage

to realizethat _somethingwas

"wrong"

withit._Theyhadthoughtthis was_simplya_pretty

picture oftreebranches againstthe sky, andthatitsgreataccomplishment_layinthescale

and renditionofcolor,coupled withthenebulousideaof_being"well

composed."

Whatappearedto beaworm's eye view ofthe_floweringtreesof_springwas, infact,

acombination ofimages (40to 50)seamlesslycollagedtogether.Branches were

connectedin illogicalways, andspaceswerereconstructedtojartheviewer's sense of

rational perspective. Itwas_easyto inducethis response; I used myself as an example of

someone who _{has verylimitedexperienceswiththe}

organic _world,andtried togive

myselfjustenough_{information torelate to}

myownidea (or memory)ofhow ascenelike

this should appear. Oncethe original suggestionwas_{visually inplace,}Iwasfreetoalter

asmuch oftheimageasIwanted. Whenthe trickbegan toreveal_itself, Iwould either

backofffromor strengthentheparts oftheimage thatgavethe suggestionof normalcy.

Withthis imageinparticular,Iam_challengingthevieweron two_{widely held}truths:

first,ourbeliefthatphotographsaretruthful documentsofthereal_world,and_secondly, a

strongerandeven primordialbeliefthatthenaturalisauthentic._Addressingtheformer: a

photograph_{is supposedly}atwo-dimensional depiction in_light,formand color of a scene

fromoneviewpoint. It iswhat wehave beenconditioned_{to see;it forms} our_wayof

organizingthoughtsintoa cohesive and rational reality.Withregardto the_authenticity of

nature,our society'scurrentinterests inorganicfoodand natural_products,"eastern"

medicine, yoga,and_realitytelevisionindicate thatwe needtohavethe_{belief,if only in}

appearance,that there aresome areas which shouldn'tfallto human intervention. There

isan almost religious_mentality thatnature_{is recognizably distinct from}man-made

reality,andthatit ismore_valuable,as evidenced_bytheexamples of organic apples and

free-rangepoultry. Cezannesaid almost 100 years agothatwhen we seethe_land, all we

see are pictures._Personally, I have seenfarmore pictures ofland thanIhave seenthe

land itself.

Eachof ushas adesireto believethatwhatispicturedis _real;averification of our

place withintheworld. Iwanted tomake animage thatacted as a metaphorforour

cultural

"placelessness"

andlackof grounding. Intheimages fromtheprevious year's

workIbegan to_{strip away} thebackground fromtheimage and _slightlyaltertheformof

theorganic objecttoprovide a_feelingof_beingremoved andhidden fromthe

environment.

TheBranches, morethan_anyother ofthese pictures, usedthe_technology ofAdobe

Photoshoptoform themessageoftheimage itself. _Photoshopprovides an _{easy way}of

seamlessly montaging imagestogether.To connecttheroots I usedthesame_technique,

howeverastheobject was removedfromthe largerscene thespatial effects created _by

this type of_montageingwere_largelyhidden. This methodiscommon to_Photoshop,and

my interest lies in combining many separate points of viewintoone image.

Perspectivehas taken severalformsin its codification sinceits_{revolutionary}

one-pointlinearperspective oftheRenaissance. Fromthecontinuationofthatcodificationin

photographytoCubism'srejectionofits conventions, thisnew_technology enables us to

arrange several

"modern"

Linearperspective makes certain assumptions: _namely thatimagesaredisplayedflat

on acommon_{plane, that}the artist sawthe scenefrom afixed point of view with a

singularand objective_eye,andthat there isa pre-determined point of view inwhichto

lookattheimage. As_Panofsky said:

Ina_sense,perspectivetransformspsychological space into

mathematicalspace.Itnegatesthedifferences between frontand_back, betweenright and_left, between bodiesand

interveningspace

("empty"

space), sothat thesum_ofall

theparts_ofspace and allitscontents are absorbedintoa single "quantum continuum."8

Whilethistypeof perspective makes thatoftheviewerthe_determiningfactorofreality,

thenew _technologycan also_play withthisidea. Astheideaof cultural placelessness

affectstheindividual's sense of_{determiningreality,}IfoundthatintheInterconnected Branches Iwas_illustratingthispoint_bygenerating a sceneinwhichthereare_many

points of view.

There isno one visual point of referencein whichtoseethepicture.The picturehas

illogical_{foreshortening} and an absurd sense that therules ofthenatural world have

somehowbeen broken. The large-scaleofthebranches fillsthe viewer'sfieldofvision,

as wouldthenatural scene,yetthe viewer cannotfindan anchor or reference. _Seeing

several _vanishingpoints_concurrentlyand_havingmultiple picture planesinspires a sense

of vertigothattheviewer must reconcile in hisownimagination. Becauseofthewealth

of similarimagestheviewer_{sees, this}process of reconciliationis _immediate; the

narrative ofthe_{branches is revealing}ofthe trick thathismind hasplayed uponitself. It

was aslight-of-hand _gagthat turned thesubject ofthepicturefrom_beingaboutthe_reality

of nature to_beingaboutthenature ofreality.

Myvisualinspiration forthistypeof picturelies inthelandscapescreen paintings

fromtheEdo periodinJapan. Screensare similartowallpaper murals intheirshared

historicalpurpose ofinteriordecoration, andas such aretotemsindicativeofthe

prevailing socialstructure.As theTokugawaShogunategainedpolitical control over

Japan inthe 17th_Century,the socio-cultural_hierarchywentthoughdrasticchanges.A

society offeudal imperialists_perpetually at warbecame more unified andpeaceful; and

Japan's economyprospered.

Astheweight of war removed thestronghold ontheurban merchant class_(alongwith

therapid growth oftheurbancenter; i.e., Edo-Tokyo),thereemerged a new set of_luxury

goods,popularart,design, andentertainment.A decadent culture arose_{in strong}contrast

to thepiousfeudal _society thatpreceded it._{Fashion, entertainment,}brothels,and other

pleasures werethe new motifsexplored_byartistsintheirdepictions of society. The

conceptofUkiyo-E_{(floatingworlds)} wasintroducedto describethefeelingsofthese

pleasures. Whilethereis a_strongcorrelationtoKabuki (puppet_theater)in the_floating

style of_Ukiyo-E, the land itselfalsofloated. Hills,trees, and water were represented as

separate andautonomous elements disconnected from _{their surroundings,befitting} the

carefree and_{pleasure-seekingphilosophy} ofthe time(albeitcommissioned _bythenew

government).

Thesimilaritiesare _{striking between Edo}periodJapanand ouryouthculture oftoday.

The popularityof cocaine inthe 1980s gave_way to thatof_{Ecstasy(MDMA)} inthe

1990s, and withitcame a culturethatwantedto beentranced andlost inmusic and

celebration. In_{his Tales of}the_{Floating World,} Asai Ryoi says ofhistime

"..

.Livingonly forthe moment,turning ourfullattentionto

thepleasures_{ofthe moon, the snow, thecherry blossoms}

andthemaple_{trees, singingsongs,drinkingwine,} and

diverting ourselvesjust infloating, floating, caringnot a whitforpauperism _staringusinthe_{face,refusing}tobe

disheartened, likea gourd_{floatingalong}with theriver

current:thisiswhat we callthe_floatingworld."9

Cyberspace _today representsthe _fleetingattitudethat_many of_my generationpossess.

Itwould seemthatin both theglobalism of_todayandtheisolationismin Edoperiod

Japantheattitude of_{apathy is}predominant. Whilefor EdoperiodJapanthepurpose of

thelandscape screens wastogive animpressionistic descriptionof"here I am,"

the

"The Mountain RangeBackdrop" or

"The GravelPiles"

28.5x140 inches_(paneled)

The Mountain Range

Backdrop

Iused tolove westerntelevisionshows such as_{Rawhide,KungFu,} and The Lone

Ranger, alongwiththefilms ofJohn Wayne. I feltthatIshared their_solitary spirit.I had

thatsame_{understanding}of_beingalone,of_being"out

there"

as_they were. Maybeitwas

theinfluenceof_Disco,whosethemewas_dancing alone,or maybeIwasjusta

melancholy kidwho spenttoomuch time_watchingtelevision.In eithercase,I could

relate._Lookingbacknow,with theeyes of someone educatedinwesternlandscape

painting,I seethatStar_Trek, Star Wars, andLostinSpacewere _examiningsimilarideas

aboutthefrontieralbeit updatedfor contemporary times. Moreover,Ifeltthat theattitude

aphotographerhad to takewasthatof alone gunman,movingabout ahardroador

grassy knoll,on a questfor... something. I neverknewwhatthesecowboys were_looking

for,but I wastold thatitwasthequest alonethatmattered. _Manyyears _{later, reading}Jack

Kerouac's OntheRoadconfirmedthe_validityofthisidea. Yearsafter _that,while_hiking

inthe Sinai_desert, withBedouinand camels_{replacing Indians}andhorses I _finallygot a

taste ofthewild and ruggedlandscape which theLone RangerandTontohad inhabited.

Myvision ofthatscene wasinfluenced_bywhatI hadwatched 20years earlier on

television.

Thefinal incarnation oftheMountainRange_Backdropwas atribute to _my

television-inspiredview ofthe_{land. It began simply} through_{photographing}those ubiquitous piles

of gravel thatseemto litterthe Rochesterarea. What I saw onthe contact sheets was

compellingfromthebeginning;the gravelhad beentransformedinto_{hills, dunes,}mini

mountains, and_{rolling fields. Byadding}color, Icouldturn these scenesinto_anyplace

imaginable. I learnedthen thatcolor equalstheme;and sincethemeinthiscase wastied

to setting,I could changethe_{setting bychanging}thecolorsofthegravel. I thoughtof

the cowboy, who carriedthemyth ofthe wild, untamedland asa_backdropfor his own

wild, untamed nature. Assuch,I became the_{picture-making}cowboy.Clint Eastwood's

archetypal questin his various portrayals ofthe_cowboy wastomake thelandand notbe

subjected toit. I figured thatiftherewas no cowboy, thanno camera wouldbe

photographing himagainstthewestern backdrop.

There isareciprocal_{relationship between} wildness anddiscovery. Examplesforthis

ideaareabundant: the childrenofIsrael wanderedin the_{Sinai before coming}to their

promised_land,Jesusand other mystics went to thewilderness to_{before resolving} problems, theAmericanIndians tookhallucinogens inreligious ceremoniesinorderto

communicatewithdivinebeings, and artistscontinue _timelessly tograpple with"the wild

side"

before_formalizingtheirideason canvas or on paper. Whileitwasthe western

wildernessof_{mountains,Indians, deserts,valleysand gorgesthatshapedtheAmerican}

consciousness, itwasthrough the_tamingofthefrontierthat the real American_identity

wasfounded. The_topography of_{the west,despitebeing}a place of peril and_fear,was

also onethatoffered_{many natural resourcesof greatbenefitto}

burgeoningAmerican industries.

Toprovidethe readerwith abrief

backdrop

ofthe literaturethatinfluencedme, itwas

not untillaterthatnatureitselfbecameasource of pridetoAmericans. The footprintof

Europeancivilization uponthe"NewWorld"

transformedthiswildernessintoan

environment of_possibility; a virtual _GardenofEden. While themagnitude ofthe

landscape served as ametaphorforthe grand plans_{to the continent,} italso served as a

metaphorforescapefromthe confinementofEuropeanoppressionleft behind_by the

immigrants. In John O'Sullivan's article onManifest_Destinyhepoints to thelandas a

place where a new _society canbe built:

"Theexpansivefutureisourarena, andforourhistory. We

are_enteringon its untrodden_space, withthe truths_{of God}

inour_minds, beneficentobjectsinour_hearts, and with a

clearconscienceunsullied_bythepast. Weare thenation_of

humanprogress, and whowill, whatcan,setlimits toour

onward march?Providence iswith us,and no_earthly

power can. Wepointto the_everlastingtruthon thefirst

page_ofour national_declaration, and we proclaimto the

millions_ofother_lands, that 'thegates_of

hell'

thepowers

of aristocracyandmonarchy_{shall not prevail against} u:"0

Transforming the wildernessinto a cultivatedlandscape meant_embracing theWildas

a concept.This concept wasillustrated_bypainters such asCole, Bierstadt,Church,and

Moran; and wasfunded_by theUnitedStates Government. Thomas _Moran,who had

worked asChief Illustrator for Scribner'smonthly,hadenough political pull to gain

accesstomost parts ofthe Westatwhichtimewas _beinglobbied _bycongress as national

park recreational landfortourismpurposes. Funded_{by Jay}Cooke,the Presidentofthe

Northern PacificRailroad,Moran set out onthe geological_survey expedition of

Ferdinand Hayden in 1871. Whilethe_tripwas _essentiallya public relations campaignto

fostermore _{curiosity in}natural wonders such as theGrandCanyonandYellowstonefor

thebenefitofthe railroad,Moranin hiswork underscoredthis sense of wonder.His

paintingoftheGrand_Canyon, bought_bythe UnitedStates Government for_$10,000,was

"Iplace no value uponliteraltranscriptionsfromnature.

Mygeneral scopeisnot_realistic;all_mytendenciesare

towardidealization. "

In Moran'spainting,_alongwith thatof_{manyothers, the} myth of our national

character asAmericans is built. Onreview we can see how theseideaswere crafted: the

ideaofthemountainis symbolicfortheheightsconceivable _bythehumanmindin its

questfor_{safety, security} andentertainment.

The depiction of naturein alandscape isconnectedto theideaof_ownership;whether

thatnotionlies inphysical and political _boundaries,likethoseoftheAmerican_Frontier,

orthepossession ofthelandas _{setting for human drama. We} usethelandanditsorganic

elements_symbolicallyto enrich our stories and create our myths.There is _{also,however,}

abiological aspecttolandscape _{representation,}which supposes an _evolutionary

preferencefor landtobe "owned"

in some sense.

There have been scientifictheories_statingthatour visual preferencesforcertaintypes

oflandscape derive fromour_evolutionary needs. Savanna_theory (Habitat_theory)

proposes an obvious conclusion thatour choice of environmentis dependantupon our

abilitywithin ittoforage for foodand seek shelterfromtheelements. Scientific studies

conductedin children(whosepreferences would_supposedlyreflectinstinctover_intellect)

onthe typesoflandscapes_theypreferred showed aninclinationtowards landscapes

similarto those oftheAfrican Savanna (inwhichit is thought thatmuch of_{early human}

evolutiontookplace).

Theaesthetic elements oftheAfrican Savanna include water, treeswithbranches

beginningtwometers off_{the ground,}a_variety of woodedand clear areas(placestohide

and/or_escape), and paths which comein and out ofview _providing areas of

exploration.12

Whilethisattitudecanbe seeninpost-Renaissance landscape designof

parks and _gardens,italsoholds truefor depictions offine-art landscape. The Russian

artistsKomarandMelamid conductedopinion pollstodetermine styles of_painting

most-andleast-preferred _byWesterncountries,andthefindingswere striking. Thevast

majority of countries preferredlandscapepaintings whose attributes mimicthoseofthe

Savanna_theory polls: therepresentationof availablefood (animalsandplants), water,

shelter,and_clarity of vision.

More strikingwasthepreferenceforthe depictive styleoflandscapesoftheHudson

River School. Inthese landscapesthereisalarge landmassin thedistantleft, a_bodyof waterin the middle, treesonthe right, and a_{clearing in}thefront. Perspectivewas placed

highoffthe groundand with_{predominantly} blue

skies.13

Giventhisresearch andthe

mythology surroundingdifferenttypesoflandscapedepictions,alongwiththeinfluence

ofthetelevised_landscape,it isno surprisethat the_illusorylandscapeprevails inthe

Mountain Rangepicture. Itstates_{very clearly}thatlandscapes are man-made phenomena and never_truly "natural." Thispictureis forme themost successful ofthe seriesinthis

regard; theimagewascreated_{byphotographing landscaping}materialsto builda

mountainmore _convincingthanaphotographof a real mountain.The_landscaping

material becametheimage_buildingmaterial.

I feel that_{my images}conjure_upnegativeideasabout man's relationto the organic;

an_underlyingthemeofdestructionandthemanipulationof a realm_longdeemed

untouchable contrastswiththe_beautyand precious _qualityofthesubject.The Wildlands

Project,Earth_First, andGreenpeace are all noble causesforenvironmental protection,

espousingtheideathatwithout a natural wilderness our cultural sense of connectedness is lost. Their sometimesradical attempts at

"saving"

nature canbe seeninthe same heroic lightasthosepioneers whose drive itwasto "tame"it.

TheGaia_theory ofJames Lovelockpurportsthat theworldisa_{livingorganism,} and

thatashuman beingswe are a part ofthatsystem.Yetmorethan_anyotherlife formon

Earth,wehave been abletochange and manipulatetheenvironment. It seemsthat the

natural process of adaptation and evolution arelawsreservedfor_{the other,}

"lower"

life

forms._Seemingly,manhas defined himself inoppositiontonature as a defenseagainst

thepsychic crush ofhis _inevitablyshortlife. Forexample, societiesthroughout_history thatrespectedthe environmentfell to those thatdidnot.Thosesocieties_bycomparison were_{technologically}lessadvanced, theirpopulationspoor, andtheirattitudes we _today haveranked as

"natural;"

whichtranslatesintomoreanimal, thanhuman. Itwas a_way for_justifyingnot_only the genocide oftheAmerican_Indians, butalso our_{antipathy for}

theevents inthe underdevelopedportionsofthe world. Itisa product of ourfearof naturethatwe embarkupon a pathtore-create theworldforour consumption. It is

racism, and

"anti-nature."

In reality, we are mostpowerlessagainstthelawsof nature. _Regardingourcrops,our picnics or ourwars

natural lawsmake thefinalanddispassionate decisionsforus. For pre-modern_{(pre-Renaissance)}man,naturehadan _entirelydifferentconnotation. Ideas such as picnics and walks intheforestwereanathemato_{his way}of_{thinking; he}was bound tonatureinthe same _waywe areboundto our workplaces.Kenneth Clark,when

discussingmedievalman states:

"Theaverage layman would nothavethoughtit_wrongto enjoy nature;hewould_simplyhavesaidthatnature was notenjoyable. The fieldsmeant_{nothing but hard}work...

beyondthesemore orlessprofitable parts_oftheearths

surface stretched an interminablearea_offorestand

swamp."'4

Thefactorthatliberatesusfromourfearof natureisour newfrontier,technology.

Whetherinthe production of_{crops, the}domestication of_animals,orthe _harnessingof

naturalforcesandresources,_technology hasgiven us given us a sense of power while

facingthesefears. It hasso_far,despiteafewunfortunateaccidents, helpedus live_longer,

healthier lives. Ourtechnological innovations haveallowedusto_{inhabit every}cornerof

theearth and exploitits_{resources, providing for}us abackgroundinwhichwe canhave

an experience of nature while _remaining comforted_byour_abilitytoleaveit.

Landscapehas becomean

"e-escape."

This ideaoftheorganichas rapidly evolved

alongwith our owntechnological evolution. Asthemallhasreplacedthe_{town market,}

our relationto thevisible andtangible has beenaltered as well. The Mall hasmade our

physicallimitations of accesslessproblematic,bygiving us adesirefor increased

accessibility. Inthis turnhasprovidedforus aframework in whichtoview nature one

whichis optimized,sanitized and_{ready for}consumption.

"Circular Rainbow InspirationalPoster"

18.5x24 inches

Offset_lithographyPoster

The Circular Rainbow Inspirational Poster

It is fairto_saythatfrom_{their onset,} depictions of naturehavealwaysbeensymbolic.

There isadriveto _{transform nature,} whetherin

bioengineering

orinart. The earliest of

landscape motifsinmedievalartemployedtheorganic asrepresentations ofideas. Itwas

thoughtof as acarryoverfrom Hellenistictimes thatcognitive_abilitywasfarsuperiorto

sensory stimulation.In theJudeo-Christiantraditiontherainbow wasthefirst symbol; a

signfrom God toNoah afterthefloodthathewouldnot_destroy theearth andits

inhabitantsagain; itwas thecovenanthemade withtheearth. _{To many}other culturesthe

rainbow cametosymbolizethe ultimate_harmonyoftheearth incontradistinctiontoa

great natural disasteror as abridge fromthe lowerto theupper worlds.The Buddhists

view therainbow asthe higheststate ofsamsarabeforetheclearlightofNirvanaas well

as_relatingtheseven colors ofthearcto theseven planets.

Ultimately, therainbow is a"bridge" betweenthenatural andthesupernatural, the

earthlyworld andthehigher_{world, the}world of_symbolizingour environment andthe

world of representation.Butwhathappenswhentheoptical _{puzzle, themystery behind}

thephenomenonhas been discovered? Justas questions offreewill are re-examinedin

thefaceofDNA_{sequencing, the} rainbow serves as anAtlantis: Itsnostalgic component

funnels it intotherealm ofkitsch. It has becomeafailed symbolinthefaceof ozone

depletionand globalwarming, carbon monoxide_{pollution, overcrowding}and a hostof

new diseases.

I madethe Circular Rainbowto symbolizethefailureofthemythic symbol,while on

theotherhand itrepresentsthenewfrontier. Ifthereis a pot of gold attheend of a

rainbow, a circularrainbowrepresentsour continued search._Technology haschanged our

conception of_{reality in}the_{way it}providesforustheexperienceof_livingwithout

needingactual life. Tangiblenatureisno longerneededintheera of computer

simulation. _Contemporarybiological researchis done_{predominantly}withtheaid of gene

sequencing and chemical analysis.Thecomputerhasaided our_{understanding} ofthereal

as well as madeitobsolete.Thevirtual environmentis our next_frontier,and perhaps it

willbethe_onlyplaceinwhich we canlive our owncreation_becomingtoounnaturalto

sustainhumanity.

Makingthe Rainbow imageprovedfarmoredifficultthanI couldhave imagined. It

provedthat_{makingsomething}appear simpleis_extremelycomplex,_involvinglotsof

complicated_strugglingandmanipulating._{Making something}appear complex requiresthe

fluctuationsof one'shand. Thepicture wasmeanttoappeareffortlesswiththe _simplicity

of a snapshot

somethingjust seenand recorded.

Circularrainbowsdohappen_{naturally; they}arevisiblefromairplanes.A classmate

of mine whohadwitnessedthison aflighttoldme about_it, andI _instantlythoughtthat

thisrepresentation would fitwith _mycurrent themeofsentimentalandfabricated _imagery

of nature.Acoupleofweeks_later, I saw andphotographeda rainbow inthe_sky and

knewthat_{I had my}sourcematerial. Tomakethepicture_convincing, theshape couldn't

be perfectlyround northe lightuniform.I hadto shapethe brightnessandthe saturation

oftherainbow within_{the sky,}which alsohad its own undulationsof_{color,density,}and

depth. An apparentlyclear_skycontainsinfinite colors and values and a rainbowis part of

thatscheme.I can_{honestly say}thatI gained great_humilitythrough_{makingthis picture,}

recallingsome of_{my Taoist}readingsabouttheinterconnectednessofevents_thatboth

therainbow andtheblueofthe _skyare neverisolated inform, butpart of a_totality of

experience,_linkingthe object withthebackground.

There was a_{very fine line between making}theillusion appear_convincingly

"natural,"

and_havingit look_digitallygenerated.There hadtobe imperfections inthe

circularityas well as afluctuation inthe_coloringto create_somethingthatappeared real.

This challenge illustratedwhat Lao Tzu hadwritten millennia ago about"true

straightness_being

crooked."

Itseemedtomethat to sustainthe_feelingof correctnessin

the appearance oftheimage, Ineededtopresenttheviewer with_{something incorrect.}

There isan unconscious_leap offaiththatwe make when_looking attheworld: it is

our_wayof_{rationalizing its inconsistencies,} anditgives ustheillusion of normalcy.A

slightly imperfectcircle presents a catalystfortheviewertoimaginea perfect one. Ina

sense, thatiswhatthe rainbow symbolizes: we use anillusionto create anillusion. With

contemporary technologies,however, thedivisionbetween truth andillusion has become

highlyblurred. This isthe cybernetic notionof a circular_causality,createdtoprovide

machines with more efficientdatawithwhichtoact. Computers are machines withthe

abilityto "selfmonitor"

soasto becomemoreefficient,andina sense act_(accordingto

theGaia_theory) as a self-sustained organism. _Resolvingdatasystems withthenatural

systemisa_steptowards_becomingless dependantupondirecthumanperception.In

incorporatingcomputertechnology,wehaveplaced ourselvesintoa symbiotic

relationshipwith thevirtual: we control itanditcontrols us. PerhapstheY2Kfiascowas

ourfirstconcrete exampleofthisphenomenon.

The"space"

created_by theInternethasprovidedus with the_abilitytocommunicate

andhaveexperiences withoutthe limitationsof_movingour physicalforms. Ifourfocus

in theadvancementof civilizationhasdependeduponknowledge,than the virtual

A

\l

platformpicks_upthe pace withthespeed and_{accessibility it has} provided. Withoutthe

confines ofthe _body,the mindis freeto observe andhaveadifferenttypeofinterface

withother_minds;more information ispassed morefreely._Combining thiswith

technologythat can act_{independently,} a new_frontier, orwilderness, is limited onlytothe

"OilonCanvas (engineoil onpavement)"

9x14.5 inches

Inkjet (iris print)oncanvas

Oil on Canvas

OilonCanvas is perhapsthe mostdifficult image to talk about; itwas themost

complicatedimagethatI_made, and embodiesformethe sum ofthedystopicaspects of

ournatural world. Itwas madeinresponse to therainbow imageand was madein

referenceto_myreadings ontheconcept ofthe Sublime.

I felta needin my thesisworktoprovide alargerpicture ofthe elements,which for

me representthenatural in ourtimes.I feltthat_having a_display of_prettypictures_only

gave part ofthe story. Ineededtomake animage thatwas in directoppositiontoall

other pieces I hadmade previously.I alsowantedto give myselfthe_opportunity to_play

with an edge with whichI feltuncomfortable.Thepurpose oftheotherimageswas to

relateinformation through pleasure, tolulltheviewerinto beliefor_disbelief,and to

providefor hima platform wherehe couldfeelat easein viewing how I sawtheworld.

OilonCanvas attemptedtoremovethis platform and presentits ideas innakedform.

Like_{the rainbow,} OilonCanvas is anillusion: the colors we see are simple

refractions oflightonthesurface of an oil slickthatI found in a_{parking lot. The}color

could_{only be} seenincertain parts oftheoil at_anyone giventime,andto gain a picture

oftheentire object one hadtobe_movingoverit. I wasdrawnto the _shimmering surface.

Ithoughtabouthowtheobject was atthesametimebothnatural andman-made, and

wantedto represent_{this semi-miraculous,} semi-banal objectinone picture. I createdit

byphotographing only theparts oftheoilthatreflected thelightmost_intensely and_later,

with_{Photoshop, seaming}thosepartstogether. Iwas struckathowwhatI was_making

lookedlikepaint oil paint butthereal colorwas made _upoflight. Itseemedto

embodypaintingandphotography, the_{moving image} andthe still, thenatural andthe

man-made.Itwas at onceboth beautiful andterrifying.

The image is amorphous_the

opposing forcesthatholdtogetherourideasofformal

beauty. _Readingaboutthe _Sublime, I was struck_bythe 19th_CenturypainterJ.M.W.

Turnerandhispresentationofexperience;his sense ofdangerand excitement conveyed

to theviewer viahispaintings. Turner displayedtheincomprehensibleas a representation

of pure energy. I wasinspired _bythe_{way in} which thedepthofhis skies appearedto

proceedfrominfinitytowards thepictureplane, toeventuallyoverpowertheviewer.The

Sublimewasthat which, as opposed to beauty,calledintoquestion our notion of comfort

and_{security in}thevisible world. Imagerythat connotes,or conjures_{up, the}helplessness

thatmanfeels inthefaceof great natural events_{(storms,darkness)} callsintoquestionthe

essence of ourfreedomand autonomy. Butthesublime was also a romantic concept. It

came about as thecelebrationoftheindividualwithits pull _{away from}arationalist

<t*f*RF-mindset. Itshowed usthatwewere ontheedge oflarger_discoveries, that thefear involvedneededto _be,ifnotunderstood, _deservingof attempted expression.

TheSublimeinart oftheromantic period was an eventthat tookplacethrough either

Nature's power or events ofhistoric myth.Itwas_happening outsideof man's control and

placed inthehands oftheCreator. Itreferenced ourage of_discoveryand_invention,andit wasthought that true _{understanding}ofthepower ofthe_deitywasto be found inthe

examinationof

"pure"

creation.Thoreauwrotein Walden in 1854:

"God_himselfculminatesinthepresentmoment,and will

neverbemoredivineinthe_{lapse of}alltheages.Andwe

are enabledtoapprehend at all whatissublime and noble

onlybytheperpetual_instillingand_drenchingofthe_reality thatsurrounds us."15

DuringWorld War_II,Americanartists oftheAbstract Expressionistperiod also

became interested in the sublime,yetforthem the reference was_{entirely different. For}

them thesublime connoted not an_external,natural_fear,butan unknown of_geography

and religiouspower_{butafearoftheinternal,}

the unseeable,andtheseeds of man's

poweroverhimselfand others. As Freud's_theory oftheUnconscious hadpurportedthat there are areas ofthemindthatare at work without our cognitive_knowledge, and

Einstein'stheorieshadtoldusthatmass and_energywere_{interchangeable,}theparadigms

of our sense of self and placehad radicallyshifted. Theparadigm of_{reality had}shifted

fromwhatThoreau hadmentioned, andthesublimein late Modernismexpressedthe

positionoftheviewer's mindbeyondthatofhis senses.

But how is it reallypossible todealwiththesublime_today without_fallingintothe

ridiculous?Ifthesublime assumes a soulfromwhich theindividual can experience"the

event,"

is itpossibletoreconcilethese"experiences" in lightof an existence wherethe

bodyandthe soulhavefallenout of contact?Socialconditionshave created anindividual

whose experiences are_largely virtualandthe_realitythat surrounds usis _largelyman

made.Thereare ofcourse new _frontiers,new events and concerns which reachthelevel

of_beingworthyof representation inthe Sublime intheromantic sense_{but thatis for}

theromanticsto workout.I had knownall_alongthat theprospect of_creatingthe Sublime

wasfutile; thatallIcoulddo isre-create and useits motifs.

Inshort,I hadmade asouvenir, a representationofthe"good old

days"

when nature

waspainted,and_paintingwasnatural

an image tohonorthelostera of creation withthe

fascinationwith_{beingde-mystified,}withthesuppositionofthe unknown andthe_taming

of ourfears.

The Exhibition

Brian_Emery andI decidedto combine our workto create atwo-manshow.About eight monthsbeforetheexhibitionwehad decidedtocombine our worktogether to create_somethingotherthana_displayof pictures we wantedto presentourideas as a totalexperience and make a show that_jointlyexplored a singleidea.As bothour styles of workdealtwiththemanipulatedenvironment,wefeltthat the show neededtobecomean environmentin itselfthatwould mimic our collectiveidea.

Ouroriginal designsfortheshow were quite _grandiose;its production wouldhave

been_highlyexpensive and complicated. Forexample, thefirsttitlefortheshow was"A walkthough the _city andintothe

garden."

Itwasintendedtomimic a museum exhibit where Brian'sstreet scene panoramas would beprintedlargerthanlifeanddisplayedin

cramped passagewaysthroughwhichthe viewerwould walk. Thecanvas would

physicallyencompassthe viewer; thus mimickingthefeelof_{strolling down} the_city

block._Mywork was tobepresented inan open space wheretheviewer would stand or sit at adistance ina relaxed_environment,and could _{simply enjoy}the scenery.We drew_up some schematicsforthe show, _designingthe_gallery space and_{choreographing}the

viewers'

movements so as tocontinuewiththe themeof subtle manipulation. Whenour exhibition conceptbecamemorerealistic, we understoodthat the city/gardenideawas a muchlargerconceptthan thatwe were_dealingwith._Takingall thisdowna notch we

begantounderstandthatBrianwas_looking atthe StreetandI was _lookingatthePark. Mostof_{my ideas begin} thisway._They start with a muchlargerconcept of whatis

reallytherewhichfrees mymindtodreamof all ofits possibilities._Only later dothe

ideasget cleaned_up andfiled_{down, presenting}thereal idea ina morehonestanddirect format. Justas_mypictures(liketheprocess of_{photographyitself)} are subtractive,my

methodisto beginwiththelargeandrough, and work_{my way down}to thefine.

BrianandIwould spendtime_{brainstorming}onhow theconcept of our work needed tomanifestitselfphysically,butoncethefinal ideawasdecidedupon we would spend

longhours together,workinglate intothenightonthephysical pieces.Much of ourtime was spent atHomeDepot, _{making decisions}onthe types of_screws,lightfixtures,paint colors and such neededtomounttheexhibition. Weworked_{together, looking}over each other'simagesforcorrections, and_overseeingeach other's progress. I havenever worked

this _waybefore;Ihadalways workedalone,andI can_say that_being insuch an

environmentalthough stressful was also _extremelyhelpful. By having anotherperson

areasthatone of us was more skilledin_{than the other,} we were ableto_helpone another

realizehis ideasmore quickly. _Mostly,thebenefitofthiscollaboration was_havinga

partner with bothanimpassionedand objective eye.

Conclusion

I wouldliketo quotefromthe exhibition_statement, wh