Cupid Connection. A Series of Photogravure Prints. Gampi Chine Collé on Rives BFK. Image size: 7.5″ X 9″, Paper size: 22″ X 30″. 2006.
Embracing photography as my main artistic practice has forced me to address key issues such as the relationship of the photographic object, the photographer and the subject of the photograph. This is of particularly heightened interest because photographic reality is a unique conceptual space that must address inherent believability; authority and directness. In other words, whatever image is captured on film or digital sensor (and, in turn, the physical object produced) is in dialogue with a physical equivalent or subject, space or event. These attributes instill within the photographic representation a measure of trust and acceptance that what the image depicts is part of a greater dialogue occurring within tangible reality. How the photographic image is generated and to what degree the photographer is involved is a matter of contention and of personal interest.
With this project I am principally involved in exploring the concept of sincerity within the photographic document, especially within the genre of portraiture. The images I wish to produce will investigate the relationship between cataloging and indexing as an artistic practice on one hand and, on the other, it will present a formal and honest look at he nature of photographic portraiture. Specifically, I want to make a series of intimate photogravure portraits derived from video stills captured from an unlikely source: a randomly acquired found object consisting of a dating video of middle-aged men from my hometown of Kearney, Nebraska. The suite of prints will contain a total of 15 unique images – each depicting a subject of the tape at a sincere moment of dialogue with the video camera. The subjects are devoid of the polish and “pseudo sincerity” that is present within most portraits.
A medium translation plays specifically into the content of this project and it represents another layer of tension within the work. Particularly, I want to look at the issues that arise when an image from low-quality mass distributed videotape is reproduced with a traditional, exceptionally high quality method of production – photogravure. This shift of media raises the question of resonance and intent of the image. In their original incarnation the images were meant as portraits – in concept. Hopefully the participant would find a suitable viewer and make a romantic connection in reality. However, the video format is “quick and dirty” in its scope and intentions – the images on the video were meant to be quickly viewed, then passed along for maximum efficiency and exposure. The photogravure process on the other hand is meant to be held at close distance and is produced in a time-honored traditional manner.
By taking the images out of their original medium I hope to subvert the immediate reactions of both sympathy and of rejection. I wish to intercede between the original medium to subject relationship and give the viewer a chance to re-evaluate the image. Core to this project is the question: can a discomforting image be reproduced in such a way that it becomes a desirable object? And also, does that alter our relationship to the subject matter?
