A Dislocation of Time.

Beginning in Nov 2020, this ongoing body of work draws upon my prior method of studio portraiture to construct abstract compositions that are a dynamic play of light/shadow. These pieces push my photography into territory that melds the processes of other mediums including collage, and print.

As with many artists, the pandemic necessitated a turn inward. I began to consider the bounds of photography and how I could continue to make photo based portrait work without in person interaction with my subjects. This question resulted in what has become my current process; sourcing iPhone self-portraits from subjects, which I print onto xerox paper, and then cut out and transform into collaged, layered, sculptural environments. The environments are photographed with a medium format film camera, creating a beautiful juxtaposition between hyper contemporary and more traditional photographic methods.

The result is my contemporary reimagining of the possibilities of portraiture through the absence of it, which draws upon early photographic experimentation with cut paper, negatives, photograms, abstraction, and cyanotype printing such as in the work of Man Ray, Laszlo Moloy-Nagy, and Francis Bruguiére. The works skew abstract and invite the viewer in to have a deeper look and contemplate the dynamic interplay between image and shadow, as well as the simultaneous reveal and conceal. It asks people to look beneath the surface and to question further the subject and what’s being presented. Reverting my images back to their negative form highlights their photogram-like quality and also abstracts the images even further.

The work is as much about the imagery as it is exploring the intricate layers of social interaction, the fragility of relationships, and the impact of mental health. My personal struggles with mental health, coupled with the challenges of initiating, nurturing, and maintaining friendships, resonate deeply throughout the work. While making this work I lost two friends and an ex-partner to suicide. I view the layers in these works, both negative and positive, as a metaphor for the layers of a person that often remain hidden beneath the surface. What interests me most about them, is the fact that I've never met any of these men. This furthers the conversation surrounding the significance of online relationships and their impact on our understanding of human connection.