Author: jentucky

Announcing Luminiferous: Adventures in Metal

I’m am excited to officially announce my upcoming exhibition, Luminiferous: Adventures in Metal, at the University of Alabama in Huntsville‘s Wilson Hall Gallery from March 7th – 28th, 2016!

I am currently exploring the world of digital photographic transfer techniques reminiscent of old school alternative processes.  By printing onto specially coated transfer film, my images are released onto a variety of substrates with custom made transfer mediums.  This process reiterates the print making pleasures I experienced when creating photo emulsion transfers and lifts with Polaroid film.  At the same time, the superimposing of images to create a final piece emulates the multi-layered, 19th century photographic printing process of Gum Dichromates.  I find myself continually looking to the past to process the present.

Luminiferous: Adventures in Metal, features an image transfer process solely onto metal substrates.  The decision to work with metal is a direct result of searching for the reflective light I once took for granted living near the ocean.

Here is a time lapsed video of my recent full on production mode.  Stay tuned for more info as the exhibition draws near!!

 

 

 

KNLT Pine Mountain Artist Retreat

This past fall, I was invited to attend an artist retreat with the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust in Pine Mountain State Park.  KNLT has started hosting retreats where they invite 20-25 artists to join them in the Pine Mountain Wildlands Corridor, their primary project area, to learn more about this special place and their efforts to preserve and protect it.

Pine Mountain Collective
Fall 2015 Artists’ Retreat ~ photo by Guy Mendes

 

The big weekend activity was a day long hike in Bad Branch State Nature Preserve.  The specific hike was to High Rock, a massive sandstone extending along the summit offering spectacular views of the Cumberland Plateau.  It was a beautiful autumn weekend.  Clouds in the sky made for the most spectacular light and the views were stunning!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The weekend sparked a moving conversation about the role of art and conservation.  As we drove nearly an hour through the mountains to arrive at our departure hiking point at Bad Branch, we passed large mined areas of the ridge, devastating to see and truly sobering.  What can we do as artists to be the voice for nature?  Science doesn’t seem to be getting very far with facts alone.  Art is crucial to making that emotional connection which inspires change.  It got me thinking about my creative voice for nature!

The weekend was transformational.    I was inspired by KNLT and charmed by the Pine Mountain Settlement School.  There was a bonfire and bonafide entertainment.  Met a lot of great people.  Took a lot of deep breaths.  Felt connected.

Thanks to Greg Abernathy from KNLT for all his hard work in making this weekend a success!!  Click to access KNLT Fall Artist Retreat blog post to see who was on the retreat with me!!

Stay tuned for the announcement of an upcoming group show with artists from both the 2015 spring and fall retreats!

 

 

 

 

Photography Time Machine Workshop with LVA

In addition to teaching workshops with the Louisville Photo Biennial this past fall, I also had the pleasure of working with LVA and their Open Door Features at Home of The Innocents.  During the Photo Time Machine Workshop I got to take students through the history of photography working with cyanotypes, polaroids, disposal and digital cameras as well as image transfers!  Anyone who really knows me, knows that this workshop is right up my alley with my love for alternative processing, toy and instant cameras!  When showing them my grandfather’s old Minolta SLR, my Polaroid SX 70 and collection of plastic Holgas, they got so excited…opening up the camera body was totally new for them!  You forget growing up in the pre-digitalization era that most kids today have never seen film being loaded into a camera.  It was fun watching them freak out when shooting with disposal cameras, having no idea what they are capturing without an LCD screen!

Every session resulted with an actual printed image (even when we worked in digital!!!)…something we lack with easy image capturing of today!  I loved introducing Andy Warhol and how he not only used the polaroid camera as a tool for documenting his friends and parties (the original Instagram!), he also used many of these images for his silk screen series.  When I brought in the digital cameras, I also taught 5 basic rules for stronger photo composition.  What a pleasure it was to see how they incorporate these rules into their photographs!  One of the students captured a really nice image of me (which is rare as I am totally UN-photogenic).  Great example of shooting with the rule of thirds in mind!

I really loved this teaching gig and it shows in the photograph above!  Gotta say that the students really enjoyed these sessions too!  The sheer excitement they had in receiving prints from their disposable camera project or seeing their polaroid image develop as they shook it, reinforced the importance of the print in photography.

Thanks to LVA for turning me onto this special opportunity and to all the staff at HOTI for helping making the 8 week experience a success!

Click HERE to read the LVA blog post and see images from this workshop!!