This photo project aims to capture that part of Richmond, Virginia’s unique personality that reflects cultural and societal norms favoring individualism. One way it can be seen is through the diverse array of independent stores that add color and character to their neighborhoods.
At the heart of many neighborhoods, from bustling
streets to quiet corners, the unique charm and
character of Richmond, Virginia, is evidenced by
the independently owned and run stores.
As big-box retailers and franchises become more
prevalent, this project documents and showcases
the small businesses that contribute to the city's
vibrant and diverse cultural fabric.
Light Structures
In this project, light is not simply one of the traditional elements in producing a good photograph – it is the photograph.
Neon lighting is captured as the basic ingredient. Segments of neon images are repurposed layer upon layer, to create non-referential forms and patterns.
The work leverages the fact that colors are never as we really see them. They are influenced by their neighbors, their intensity, their transparency, and the patterns and boundaries found near them. By layering images of captured light, the colors interact and create new mixtures, patterns and forms.
The emotional inspiration for this project is derived from my respect for the power of color - to influence mood, memory and thought.
The process side of the inspiration is two-fold; predicated upon my interest in mathematics and the visual effects achieved through the layering of multiple images on top of one another.
The resulting abstract images strive to facilitate an active, rather than a passive, viewing experience, and elicit an emotional response that is unique for each viewer.
In 2014, I began a project largely focused on the way the Internet and the digital age have changed the nature of communication. One of the ramifications was the obliteration of the line between data and opinion. Between truth and half-truth. Between what we know and what we want you to believe.
Instagram, Facebook, SnapChat, Tinder, etc. are public personas that we manage and sculpt. They do not reflect reality, but merely a glimpse into more nuanced, more complicated and multi-faceted lives.
And, just as we control what we choose to expose to others via social media, we have become increasingly aware that social media is used to target us – not to expose us to new perspectives and thoughts, but to feed us a diet reinforcing that which we already believe.
The flow of information from all sources is heavily controlled and filtered. Within the mass media, our daily consumption of news from TV, print, and radio is sculpted and controlled by a few very powerful individuals who are largely faceless and unknown to us. They are the publishers, editors and producers who decide the stories that will be reported, the information that will be conveyed, and the manner in which they hope to influence us.
The images in the WYSIWIWYTS series (aka What You See Is What I Want You To See) place filters and obstacles in our way. Not all is visible. As with the media (TV, radio, print, online and social) the objective full picture is rarely presented, requiring the observer to actively interpret, evaluate, and intuit.