Imagine That! Imagination: Definition :the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful. :the faculty of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present Today, we reviewed the contributions from f8'ers for the last project of 2018...Imagination. Just like f8, the images and approaches to visually portraying the photographic concept ranged far and wide. We did start with the idea that imagination in photography can reside in the photographers mind, in what is done in camera to capture the images and what happens in post production. Each image represented some aspect of imaginative creation. Below are just a few of the bullet points from the discussion thread. *reading and showing books to children helps to stimulate imagination *images that are abstract or composite allow the viewer to use their imagination *captions or narrative may or may not encourage imaginative interpretation by viewer *2D images may be transformed by our imagination to 3D *many images involve semiotics or signs that allow our imagination to interpret Let's take a look at some of the contributions today... Reminder...there were many images beyond what I can show on the blog...I have exercised some editorial control Cyndi Bemel showed several image she shot at the movies during previews where you needed to use your imagination to interpret the "A" that represented Arclight Theater" Kevin Hass showed an image he shot while traveling in Europe...he left it up to the viewers imagination to interpret what you actually see. Jim Staub showed 2D pictures that allows our imagination to re-interpret as 3D ...the way we all see John showed iPhone images he left to our interpretation...some simple...some complex. Below is an example of a composite image that allows our imagination to take control and interpret. Carel could not be here today so he sent an explanation and a link to his imagination contribution "This pano is currently part of a small exhibit at the philosophical society on Los Feliz. I first learned about the place when invited for a panel discussion on Twin Peaks two years ago. They have an interesting library with a large collection of antiquarian books and manuscripts. Most of the current exhibit is in a well lit gallery, but I requested a dark space, so the pano ended up in a shipping container behind a black curtain. The pano aims to suggest some otherworldly place, exposed to the vastness of space" Carel's Spherical Panorama Chris Kleine showed examples of imagination from Jerry Ulesmann...one of which is below Debrah Lemattre showed some of her older "anthropomorphic" images of wood and a single image of a body outline outside her studio...in this case our imagination is not stimulated so much but rather corrupted by what we know about such image from TV....in many ways it is a sign...semiotic Mark Myers showed some of his urban letters where these urban signs can be re-interpreted into letters Scott Herman showed several pictures but one was his imagination of what is going to be someday his new home...an example of "good imagination"...or is it "unrealistic imagination." Charley Kohlhase showed a picture taken with a 30 year old roll of film that produced an imaginative final image he entitled "Shapes in the Mist" Charles Edwards showed an imaginative final framed image..below is comment from Charles... "Charles presentation on imagination was a digitally generate, composite print from a disassembled origami creating an abstract space into which two people were imported. It was printed on Murakumo Kozo paper and backed with copper leaf. The image speaks to the perpetual challenge of couples to reach out and bridge their differences." Howard Landau also used an artist to show artistic imagination carried to a final art work. In this case a work from Brancusi. Finally, Bill Wishner showed images that represent the phrases we frequently use to qualify the term of imagination... just a few below vivid imagination absence of imagination power of imagination wild imagination let your imagination go wild spark your imagination left to your imagination...image below...a semiotic Despite the long and illuminating comments about imagination, we still had time to mention several articles on photography from the NY Times. The first is the book of cyanotypes produced at the dawn of photography but not using a camera. The British botanist Anna Atkins published her evocative cyanotypes of algae and seaweed 175 years ago. Now, the New York Public Library is celebrating her innovation. see image and link below. Anna Adkins Also in the same paper was an article and images of Diane Arbus taken in the last years of her life...all untitled and un-curated by Arbus.
Diane Arbus "Untitled"
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KEVIN HASS: RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY Today we had an unexpected "Master Class" in photography conducted by our own Kevin Hass. Kevin managed to convey multiple aspects of his railroad work from his approach to capturing his imaging to composition to post production techniques in the darkroom. It was a unique opportunity to go inside the mind and working of a master photographer and teacher. Today we all celebrated Kevin's upcoming year long exhibit at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay Wisconsin. The exhibit entitled "Memories in Color & Steel" will begin after the new year. We also had a chance to see a "preview" of the exhibit viewing many images along with Kevin's adroit commentary on each image. Below are just a few examples together with Kevin's caption narrative. Congratulations to Kevin...thank you for your visual insights and good luck in your upcoming exhibit. Below is a link to the museum.... National Railroad Museum One other exhibit for one of our f8 members we can celebrate today... Into the Unknown: A Portrait of South Pasadena
Cyndi Bemel Cyndi's exhibit is a SPARC Gallery at the South Pasadena Civic Center starts today. Cyndi is a known visual wanderer in South Pasadena and we have seen her work documenting the old Rialto Theater in South Pas. This show has new B&W images of our local city. Below is a single example of her work on display. We encourage you to visit the exhibition right down the block from Debrah's studio. VOTE! Today we had an abbreviated session but still managed some great photography talk. As it turns out, the picture by Jim Staub above was a good intro to the discussion about "New Topographic Photography"...landscape photography of man altered natural environment whether it be roads, buildings or anything that man places in the way of nature. We all agreed that the subject required a lot more discussion in depth at a later date. There have been a number of museum exhibits highlighting this landscape movement. ...and, of course, the image that started this blog post by Jim Staub...our own topographic photographer
On another and final note for today...Bill met with the new director of the Armory Center for the Arts, Leslie Ito. He explained our history with her and how we planned to renew our donation to the Armory to be used for scholarships for young photography students in the 2019 academic year. |
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