Advent series: philosopher (Van Dyke Brown)

I don't think I even did anything with this image except take a photo of it in a book. I did use the negative to make a VDB print though, so here it is.

Valerie pt. two

I went back and re-scanned the negative of this print.

Advent series: priests and professors

Darkroom print of a photo from a book, collaged and burned. More here.

mother & child (taken)

Solarized version of this one.

Window Girl (exhibit version)

Second out of my five pieces from the Various Perspectives show.

David Prifti is in possession of this original print, which he uses in his classes to show kids how to be adventurous in their photography. He could easily just show them his own work exclusively to demonstrate that, so it's certainly an honor to have my work used for that purpose.

The process of how this image came to be is a long one: the picture of the girl is taken from a book or a magazine, I can't remember which. I made a print of that, and then scraped up the paper and burned it with a lighter. Then I took a slide of the piece (which was part of my college application portfolio. It worked!) I recently found that slide, scanned it into the computer, removed a few distracting dust spots, changed it to black and white, and printed it out 16"x20" for the show.

In hindsight I can't decide if making it black and white was the right choice. And then I smack myself in the face, because somebody liked it enough to buy it, so don't worry about it, stupid. But something just seems off about it to me, I guess because I've been living with the color version all these years. But even printing it out in color wouldn't have captured the tactility of the burns and scratches anyway. So in the end I think the black and white works just as well in a digital print medium, and it fit in better with my other pieces, which were all black and white as well. For the record, here's the original, with yellowed burn marks and all, mounted on a white board which I "smoked" with a lighter:

Advent series: INRI

Big J, hangin' out. With a very, very tiny old man. Also known as a "homunculus"! I love that I just got to use that word.

Advent series: imperialism

This is one of my favorites of this series, visually.

Advent series: sickbed

Burned silver print.

Advent series: wound

This is one of a series of photo-collages I did a while back. They combine photos of books of Renaissance paintings with various religious text.

motorcycle helmet

Me as a little kid, getting ready to take my dad's bike for a ride.

The previous statement was in jest. At the time the original picture was taken I was far too young to pilot a motorcycle.

mother & child

I have a version of this print somewhere that has the shadow of a hand reaching across from the left side. It gives the picture an entirely different meaning and feeling. I'll post it if I find it.

blonde kid

Me and my flannel and my poofy mullet. Things haven't changed a whole lot.

cinnamon lady

Picture of a picture, soaked in cinnamon mouthwash for a week.

her biggest regret

This picture was framed, propped up in the window of the old Picture Paradise store on Brighton Ave in Allston. I walked past it one day and did a classic sitcom double-take, walked straight in, and said "Good sir, I'd like to purchase that picture of a lady about to realize she just had a one night stand with a lobster, please." Then I gave him an exorbitant amount of money. It felt like a bargain, though.

I know this doesn't reveal any particular photographic skill or artistry on my part, but I did technically take a picture, so that's good enough.

bed jump

I'll just let this one speak for itself.

copper profile

Another print similar to the second one here, where the paper is really old and it turned metallic-looking over time.

Valerie

A picture of a picture of my grandmother as a child lying in the sun.

bathroom wall: Mick Jagger

He didn't sign it either.