I find my recent work increasingly
affected by the switch to digital tools. As
with painting, I still start with a basic skeletal
composition which soon takes on a life of it’s
own during the execution. The direct effect
of the digital tools makes it possible to wander
orders-of-magnitude farther away from premeditated
plans in relative ease and safety. The new capabilities
afforded by these tools are predictably creating
an explosion of new forms and expressive dynamics.
While I am occasionally involved with individual
and collaborative efforts in ‘new media’,
the format I am currently most interested in
is the hybrid: applying digital tools to traditional
2d formats. On a physical level, this takes
the form of digital printmaking using wide format
printers. My images are all implemented using
a computer and are realized as prints, either
on archival paper, canvas or custom substrates
such as linen. My goal is to render the surface
afforded by traditional media.
Digital art, when rendered as a print, uses
the same ink jet technology used to produce
what are called giclee prints. The difference
in the case of the digital artist is that the
piece was not executed in some other medium
first, then scanned and printed.
On a content level, digital tools allow me
the freedom to explore and render images in
many different modes concurrently. Color field,
abstract, cubist, symbolism, impressionism,
20th century pop, 14th century isometric perspective,
everything is readily available and fair game
as ingredients for the cocktail.
I rely primarily on photographic components
but occasionally augment the images using ‘natural
media’ tools that model the characteristics
of traditional mediums. While I take all of
the photos I use myself, I do not consider myself
a photographer, either technically or in any
sense that the term might apply in the arts.
Rather, I use photos more as a found object
that I can manipulate for a specific presentation.