Taylor Levy
25 photographs
A series of photographs that capture my process of exploring and breaking apart photography as an artistic medium and technological system to represent light.
http://72.41.109.138/
Classes
Basic Analog Circuits,Show and Tell Studio
Basic Analog Circuits,Show and Tell Studio
These images were exposed and developed over the last few months in the light sealed bathroom of my apartment. Each image is printed directly onto photographic paper using a variety of homemade cameras and a stepper motor to control the position of a single LED over an extended period of time.
These photographs capture a process. This process is an exploration of the delineation between the interior and exterior space of a machine. And analagously the position of the artist within the boundaries of a self-imposed technological system.
Background
Over this past summer I was inspired by a Richard Avedon show at Jeu de Paume where he said with regards to a series of photographs of his father "these photographs are not of my father, they are photographs of light". I also wanted to take pictures of light, but I didn't want to take pictures of people ... that would confuse my intentions. because even in Avedons photo, as much as it was about light, his father was still there. and that was distracting.
I also saw a Miroslav Tichy exhibit at the Pompadou and the way he broke, rebuilt cameras out of 'garbage' was really inspiring.
Audience
i hope people will be drawn to this work as interesting, beautiful, unrecognizable imagery. And then if they want to look further at concept that is cool too. but an appreciation on the basis of the imagery is entirely satisfactory.
User Scenario
photo exhibit
Implementation
Each (25) photograph is a 5x7 b/w print that I will mount on a very thin piece of aluminum. I would like to hang them along a wall in a sequence. In order to do this, the piece requires up to 12 ft of (clean) wall space (if possible). Other than that I do not require any other technology.
Conclusion
From the beginning, I had a very specific idea in my head of the type of output that I wanted as an manifestation of this exploration. However, I wasn't exactly sure of what it would look like, or what I would discover along the way.
i broke/took apart just about everything. and then rebuilt what i needed. cameras, lens, pinhole, optics, developing photographs. exposure time, photo paper, light stuff.
This process has enabled me to understand the use of a relatively new technology as an artistic medium. I think in order to use something as an artist, I think you have to break it apart and really understand what is going on. Technological evolution is bound to a dynamic where consumers are forced to consent to the technological decisions embedded in products. The dynamic is one where products are made under a veil of usefulness, whereas the art object is not necessarily related to this pretense... the problem/solution of the art object are inherent to the object itself...and when they involve other problems or solutions, that is a distraction.
These photographs capture a process. This process is an exploration of the delineation between the interior and exterior space of a machine. And analagously the position of the artist within the boundaries of a self-imposed technological system.
Background
Over this past summer I was inspired by a Richard Avedon show at Jeu de Paume where he said with regards to a series of photographs of his father "these photographs are not of my father, they are photographs of light". I also wanted to take pictures of light, but I didn't want to take pictures of people ... that would confuse my intentions. because even in Avedons photo, as much as it was about light, his father was still there. and that was distracting.
I also saw a Miroslav Tichy exhibit at the Pompadou and the way he broke, rebuilt cameras out of 'garbage' was really inspiring.
Audience
i hope people will be drawn to this work as interesting, beautiful, unrecognizable imagery. And then if they want to look further at concept that is cool too. but an appreciation on the basis of the imagery is entirely satisfactory.
User Scenario
photo exhibit
Implementation
Each (25) photograph is a 5x7 b/w print that I will mount on a very thin piece of aluminum. I would like to hang them along a wall in a sequence. In order to do this, the piece requires up to 12 ft of (clean) wall space (if possible). Other than that I do not require any other technology.
Conclusion
From the beginning, I had a very specific idea in my head of the type of output that I wanted as an manifestation of this exploration. However, I wasn't exactly sure of what it would look like, or what I would discover along the way.
i broke/took apart just about everything. and then rebuilt what i needed. cameras, lens, pinhole, optics, developing photographs. exposure time, photo paper, light stuff.
This process has enabled me to understand the use of a relatively new technology as an artistic medium. I think in order to use something as an artist, I think you have to break it apart and really understand what is going on. Technological evolution is bound to a dynamic where consumers are forced to consent to the technological decisions embedded in products. The dynamic is one where products are made under a veil of usefulness, whereas the art object is not necessarily related to this pretense... the problem/solution of the art object are inherent to the object itself...and when they involve other problems or solutions, that is a distraction.