the process … Dark ice
It seems like sacrilege to post such cold imagery on a 70F day in Brooklyn, but I just got these prints back yesterday so it’s back to The Process. I picked up the roll which must have taken me two months to shoot and as I leafed through the photos I wondered if I had already moved on from this system of making work. I mentioned before that as I discuss the making of the work more and more, I run the risk of becoming so self-aware that I destroy the chances of making good work in the future (using this method.)
I was relieved when I came to the above photo. Shooting slowly on film allows me to keep some mystery even to myself – I have no idea what the object in the photo is or what the spikes are surrounding it, to me it looks like a heart impaled on spikes. I certainly don’t even remember taking it. The scan doesn’t show the range of subtlety that the print has (in working with a variety of print sizes, I’m coming to the realization that the 4×6″ machine print is the initial way that I fall in love with the image and that’s they way it should stay.) Had I shot this with a digital point and shoot, the auto-flash would have been a lot stronger and probably killed the mood. Also I would have been dealing with the image immediately, instead of two months later and all mystery would be removed. I’m glad that the film stock determined the palate as well.
It’s exciting and it’s a winner. I hesitate including the additional shot below, though I do like the way they naturally pair together. But the photo above is way beyond it.
