Friday, March 20, 2009

Older Work; Cinema Reinterpreted,[ + ], and Heart of This Home

Heart of This Home:







[ + ]:

































Cinema Reinterpreted:










See more at flickr.com/abovassophoto

Monday, March 16, 2009

Brown Center: interior/exterior

I don't know if everyone is aware of this, but the Brown Center is kind of amazing. If you want to see what this magnificent building looks like from the outside, just Google Image search it. But what I want to talk about is the reasoning behind the strange exterior form of the building. I don't even think MICA students are so aware of this:

The building's structural supports outline the landscape of MICA's campus, as well as baltimore city. And regardless of where you stand in the building, the Main Building is visually highlighted by the Brown Center's physical structure.






Thursday, March 12, 2009

MICA's Impromptu Photography Show

This year MICA is being evaluated by the Middle States Accrediting Association. This means two things: janitors work overtime polishing things that don't need polishing, and every department puts together a sampling of work for the accrediting board. This year, the photography department did an amazing job of putting together a show that looks pretty spectacular. The best part about it was that nothing was planned and as people were coming in for classes we would ask "do you have something you want to go in this show?" and it literally still looks as if it was curated.
















This is Allison Gardner's work. She has her subjects pose for a photograph, then sit in the same position for a period of time before taking the next photo. She is working on this for our thesis class. In a weird way, her concept kind of reminds me of mine. While her project reflects short time span changes and more refers to classic studio portraiture, and my project uses someone else's photographs, we are in essence doing something interesting with the 'difference' between.



This is my friend Danielle Lopez. She is looking at the Commencement Exhibition proposal for our thesis work. It was due today. Oh Jesus, right?

















This is Emily Wandres'. She is photographing couples with one hour exposures. I know that that is all she would want me to say about it. She's currently working on titling the entire series, however, these working titles are all couples first names alphabetically.








This is Amber Caroll's work. Her work delves into issues focusing on African American culture and possible racial issues that exist both within and beyond the African American community.


































































Oh and there's mine, "The Glass Ceiling." How bad is it that I only knew the title of my own work. I need to get better at blogging.

The Glass Ceiling: Full Body Scan





I recently did a project for The Body in Photography, which is instructed by Regina DeLuise. I scanned my entire body, including what is not shown here, with a small scanner. I took each scan and melded them together in photoshop to give the illusion of laying on glass. Conceptually, this project means something aside from the process, of which is personal nature and am not willing to blog about.

If you are around the baltimore area and are willing to know more about the concept behind this project, my piece is hanging on the ceiling of the MICA Main Building's Main Gallery. The photo department along with every other department on campus had to throw together a show for the Middle States Accrediting Association. Ill try and post pictures up if I get a chance. The show is pretty sweet.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Jersey City 2009: The Dan McNulty Project

Jersey City 2009: The Dan McNulty Project is the culmination of my learning experience through imagery. Dan McNulty was a photographer who lived in Jersey City and photographed it from the years 1940 through 1960. The intent of his images are unclear. There is a possibility that he photographed for the purpose of real estate, but nothing has actually been documented about his life and experience with his camera. For what his images are worth, I would say he painted a good picture of what Jersey City was like at the time, for both its people and place.
My intent for this project is to forego my creative license. In throwing away my own eyes, I found new eyes, resurrected. I want to remain humbled by the fact that any image you can possibly take has already been taken. Dan McNulty’s name will live on through his photographs. In re-photographing his work, a man who I have never met and no nothing about, I feel the essence of a loud conversation. Moving the camera to be compositionally accurate means I am finding the place he actually stood almost 60 years ago. It is in this conversation that I can tell him that his photographs are not dead; they are very much living documents, and the conversation between him, myself, or anyone, can continue forever.