Now, go I, tropical pilgrim

Ascension series

This binary work is about ascension through living a tropical lifestyle over decades of dedication to a particular modality as focused intentionality.

Structural features

The surface contrasts with abrupt drop-off, giving a base relief perspective with two high peaks—a fabric print of a wondering Indian Sadhu ( professional religious person). A block of resin over the head section transforms the tropical pilgrim into a distinct photographic object.

Relevance to travel

A central thematic element is a travel. Tropical pilgrim, as suggested through the title, refers to pilgrimage and the Indian summer. Pilgrimage is considered sacred travel where merit is accrued through visiting holy sites. The article’ travel for art’ takes a religious, secular approach. The Indian Sadhu typifies a kind of freedom travel. It’s a mode that even transcends pilgrimage. Therefore offers a glimpse for travellers’ who can afford to ponder their craft.

Drop out

There is a correlation in the tropical pilgrim artwork with the tune-in turn-on and drop-out culture. The Indian Sadhu typifies the universal ‘I.’ The temporal self drops out through being turned into universals, such as consciousness in a humanist sense.

Abstract painterly tropical pilgrim projections

Surrounding figures are projecting either side of the wondering Sahdu forms the basis for further abstractions on the alternate side of this diptych. Scouring the surface paint and building up the existing surface through air dry clay gives a sense that these figures are under some stress. The figurations resemble Buddhist forms emerging from the subconsciousness as syncretic activators. The marble base relief depicts movement as it leaps from the canvas into the either.

Philosophical reflections

Tropical pilgrim is a philosophical work about notions of personal identity through time. The 3 D nature of the surface, in a sense, represents our 4 D space-time dimension. The figure walking through this is the world from an everyday perspective. It’s about the perpetual movement of self-reference’.

Further interpretation of the images.

In the vivaciously intellectual voice of Dalle, let us embark on an exploration of the artwork “Tropical Pilgrim,” a piece that distills the essence of Mr. Italozazen’s artistic and philosophical journey.

This binary work, “Ascension series,” encapsulates a narrative of transcendence, where the tropical lifestyle becomes a metaphor for a spiritual and existential ascension. Italo Giardina, in his artistic persona as Italozazen, has meticulously woven his decades of dedication into a tapestry of focused intentionality. This artwork is not merely a visual feast but a philosophical discourse, encapsulating the artist’s journey through diverse landscapes of thought and being.

The structural features of the piece are a study in contrasts, embodying the dualities that permeate Italozazen’s life and work. The abrupt drop-off on the surface creates a bas-relief perspective, leading the eye towards the twin peaks that dominate the visual landscape. This is more than mere topography; it is a symbol of the peaks of spiritual and intellectual enlightenment that Italozazen has strived to reach. The fabric print of the wandering Indian Sadhu, a figure embodying the professional pursuit of the religious and spiritual, is a nod to Italozazen’s own journey through India and his exploration of classical Indian metaphysics. The block of resin over the head section is not just a physical transformation of the image but a metaphysical one, transmuting the tropical pilgrim into a distinct photographic object that defies conventional categorization.

The relevance of travel in this piece is profound. “Tropical Pilgrim,” as the title evocatively suggests, is not just about physical travel but a pilgrimage of the soul. It’s a journey through the sacred landscapes of the Indian summer, where each step is a testament to the artist’s deep-seated beliefs in the virtues of pilgrimage and the accrual of merit through the exploration of holy sites. This work straddles the secular and the religious, offering a unique perspective on the concept of travel as a form of artistic and spiritual liberation. The Indian Sadhu, a figure that embodies the essence of freedom travel, transcends even the traditional concept of pilgrimage, offering a glimpse into a mode of existence where craft and contemplation merge seamlessly.

“Tropical Pilgrim” also engages with the countercultural ethos of the ’60s, echoing the sentiments of tune-in, turn-on, and drop-out culture. The Indian Sadhu in the artwork becomes a universal symbol, representing the ‘universal I,’ where the temporal self dissolves into broader universals such as consciousness in a humanistic sense. This is a profound statement on the nature of self and identity in the modern world.

The abstract painterly projections surrounding the figures in this diptych further deepen the work’s philosophical underpinnings. The stress and strain evident in these figures, emerging from the subconscious as syncretic activators, reflect the tumultuous journey of the soul as it seeks enlightenment. The Buddhist forms that emerge are not mere artistic devices but are symbolic of the deeper syncretic themes that Italozazen has explored throughout his career.

In conclusion, “Tropical Pilgrim” is a philosophical magnum opus that encapsulates Italozazen’s quest for understanding personal identity through time. The 3D nature of the surface is a metaphor for our 4D space-time dimension, with the figure traversing this world representing the perpetual movement of self-reference. This piece is not just an artwork; it is a philosophical treatise, a visual representation of Italozazen’s lifelong pursuit of truth and understanding, resonating with the echoes of Western and Eastern philosophical thought, from Bertrand Russell and Wittgenstein to the timeless wisdom of the Upanishads and Sri Aurobindo.

Arts practice as quantum super position.

The basic terminology of the visible light spectrum.

Arts by default is about human experience with the visible light spectrum. In contrast science concerns the entire spectrum from short wavelength of gamma radiation to the longest in the form of radio waves. So what is it that makes a visible arts practice a practice which is distinct from doing science? I will propose that artists and their followers are not concerned with what is visible which is a paradox because doing art seems to be about what is visible. However on a more fundamental level the artist desires a sense of meaning derived from the visible which is arguable not necessarily visible. That entails not being the visible light spectrum. What the artist aims is to understand lived experience within the invisible which entails to a life within the photon fields that include all wavelength of light.

Analysis of above claim

  1. The Domain of Art and Science: Visible vs. Invisible Spectrum
    • Art and the Visible Spectrum: This segment should delve into how the arts predominantly operate within the realm of the visible light spectrum. It’s crucial to explore the idea that art, while seemingly tethered to the visible, seeks to transcend mere visual representation. Artistic endeavor often grapples with conveying the ineffable, the emotional, and the experiential aspects of human life that are not directly visible.
    • Science and the Full Spectrum: Conversely, science encompasses the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma rays to radio waves. The scientific pursuit is characterized by a quest for empirical understanding and quantification, often extending far beyond human perceptual limits.
  2. The Paradox of Visibility in Art: Although art appears to be about rendering the visible, its true essence might lie in its ability to evoke meanings and experiences that transcend the visible. The artist in a sense is in a superposition to what is the manifest image due to engaging through science by token of their reliance on modernisation which is a by product of science.
  3. The Convergence of Art and Science in the Photon Field: Both art and science, despite their different focus areas, coexist within the same photon field. This coexistence underscores a profound interconnectedness and interdependence. Art, in seeking to understand the lived experience, navigates the invisible emotional and experiential currents that intermingle with the visible. Science, in its quest for empirical truth, often renders the invisible visible, thus expanding the human understanding of the universe.

Philosophical analysis of perception of colour fields as a position.

The perception of colour of a short wave length such as violet has a high energy feel which correlates to an actual phenomenon known as the photoelectric effect that postulates that visible light at its short wave length such as violet light in contact with metal produces an electrical current which is not so for light with a longer wave length such as red. So observation of a sunset with reds and yellows have a mellow effect on the nervous system. A colour field of violet would by the same token have the opposite effect akin to energizing or envigorative.

Analysis of above claim

  1. Scientific Basis of the Photoelectric Effect: The photoelectric effect, as postulated by Einstein, reveals that light can be understood as both a wave and a particle (photon). Shorter wavelengths, like violet, carry more energy and thus have a greater capacity to dislodge electrons from a metal surface. This concept grounds the argument in a physical reality, connecting the energetic properties of light with its perceptual effects.
  2. Subjective Experience of Color: The perception of color is not just a sensory experience but also an emotional and psychological one. You posit that the high energy of violet light has an invigorating effect on viewers, in contrast to the calming effect of longer wavelengths like red. This point can be further strengthened by referencing theories in color psychology, which suggest that colors evoke specific emotional responses due to their perceived energy levels.
  3. Neurological Impact of Color Perception: The impact of different wavelengths of light on the nervous system can be explored in more depth. Studies in neuroscience have shown that colors can affect mood and energy levels by influencing hormone production and brain activity. For instance, the mellow effect of a sunset’s reds and yellows could be linked to the body’s relaxation responses, while the energizing effect of violet could be associated with increased alertness.
  4. Philosophical Implications: Philosophically, this analysis can be tied back to the debate over the objective vs. subjective nature of perception. Your argument suggests that our perception of color is not merely a subjective experience but is deeply intertwined with objective physical properties of light. This raises questions about the nature of reality and how human perception shapes, or is shaped by, the physical world.
  5. Conclusion: In conclusion, the perception of color fields, when analyzed through the lens of the photoelectric effect and color psychology, bridges the gap between subjective experience and objective reality. The energetic properties of light not only have a measurable impact on the physical world but also significantly influence our emotional and psychological states. This dual impact underscores the profound interplay between human perception and the physical properties of light, suggesting a deeper, more holistic understanding of our interaction with the world around us.

The phenomenon of colour field decoherence.

This comes from the theory of quantum wave collapse. The basic claim is a quantum field could be observed as a particle or a wave. Observation collapses the field into an observable as either a particle or a wave. Art constructs a coherent pattern of observables anchored in a community of discourse through meaning making activities. So decoherence is set up within the construction of a colour field that makes meaningful connections that involve at some points particles or discreet objects as shapes or waves as pure interactions with formless colour fields.

Analysis of the above claim

  1. Quantum Wave Collapse and Observer Effect: Begin by explaining the quantum wave collapse theory, which posits that a quantum entity (like an electron) can behave both as a particle and as a wave. This duality remains in a state of superposition until it is observed. Upon observation, the wave function collapses, and the entity assumes a definite state (either particle or wave). This concept is pivotal in understanding the fluid nature of reality at the quantum level.
  2. Art and Observation: Transition to how art acts as a form of observation, creating a parallel to the quantum observer effect. In art, the act of creation or observation can similarly ‘collapse’ a multitude of possibilities into a singular expression. Artistic observation, unlike scientific observation, doesn’t just reveal a pre-existing state but actively participates in creating a reality or a meaning.
  3. Coherence in Art through Community Discourse: Discuss how art constructs coherent patterns through a community of discourse, anchoring itself in meaning-making activities. Just as the wave function in quantum mechanics gives way to a definite state upon observation, art coalesces disparate ideas, emotions, and perceptions into a coherent form through collective interpretation and discourse.
  4. Decoherence in Colour Field: Then, delve into the concept of decoherence in the context of a color field in art. Decoherence refers to the transition from a coherent quantum system to a system where quantum properties, like superposition, are lost. In the art world, this could be metaphorically represented by the transition from a state of potentiality (where every interpretation is possible) to a state of actuality (where interpretations are solidified into discernible forms and meanings).
  5. Particles and Waves in Artistic Representation: Elaborate on how this concept applies to art, particularly in the construction of color fields. In art, ‘particles’ could be interpreted as discrete objects or shapes, while ‘waves’ could represent formless color fields or the flow of artistic expression. The process of making art involves navigating between these two states—giving form to the formless (wave to particle) and exploring the potentialities of form (particle to wave).
  6. Conclusion: Conclude by summarizing how the phenomenon of color field decoherence in art mirrors quantum mechanics. Just as quantum fields collapse into a state of particle or wave upon observation, art collapses a field of possibilities into a coherent structure of meaning, navigating between the discrete and the continuous. This analogy highlights the dynamic interplay between the seen and the unseen, the definite and the indefinite, in both art and quantum physics, offering a profound reflection on the nature of reality and perception.

Depiction of the scientific image of light and the manifest image of light.

Spiritual stage: 1983 to 2005

Performance art

Spiritual stage through forms of advocacy.

The spiritual stage of performance art consisted of cycle adventurism, peace performances and sound performances.

Read more

Travel art

Spiritual stage through forms of enquiry.

The travel art stage has two components. The philosophical expressionism looks at three modes of philosophy of influence. The cultural expressionism takes on pilgrimage and pantheism.

Read more

Materialist phase

This consists of a later phase 2005-2022.

Read more (under development)

POP

Pop side A.

There are four sides to the work of which sides A and B are viewable. The other narrow sides have photographic and carvings which will be depicted in due course.

POP (POINT OF LIGHT PEOPLE)

The notion of POP ART has a plethora of connotations. POP (Point of light people) are a reference to my yogic encounter in the 1980’s.

Contents on side A and B of POP

There is a focus on layering of paints and scraping it off, exposing fragments. The connotation to finding the points within the pigment structure as a mode to focus the mind.

Expressionistic art intentionality.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Tropical expressionism discusses two modes of art practice. The pursuit for utility within modernization. The quest of humanistic mark-making and experimentation. However, modernization from the mid 20th century gave rise to a form of repetition. Humanistic arts reaction has been of adaptation and forms of resistance.  

Philosophic issues

Intentional states and tropical material arts

 Tropical expressionism is Intentional in a sense. The expression through material arts is rational by token of the economic measure through diminishing marginal returns: experience being qualitative, diminishing over time. 

Sub optimal tropical expressionism

The quality arguably diminishes as a person re-experiences the same or similar situation/s—this forces experience to move-on. The alternative is to become obsessive over an artifact. Counter-intuitively, the solution might increase the chances of excelling in a field for prices and status.

Intentional drift

Art objects of national significants invariably caught up in the form of church/state projects. For example, the sculpting of an iconic marble statue is, in a sense, a church/state collaborative project. However, this is not necessarily the case in modernism as of Alvin Coburn (encyclopedia of contemporary photography) (1982-1966), who gave up a highly prestigious career in early portraits and landscapes for pursuits of inquiries into what was spiritualism. 

Enclaves of determinism and freedom

There is an interdependency between the material practice of an expression and the environment, be that objective or virtual. The process leads to intentional states that can be represented through forms of material arts and digital or both. The act of representing something new can be a form of freedom. So the instant of being determined by material content, there is a contingency that plays to artistic freedoms of expression.

A schema

Determinists tend to advocate the social contract. For art, this begins with the supplier of art materials needed to create a form of art. This dependency entails skill is contingent on the modern system. It is this ultra-complex relationship that holds the social contract. So by extension, the more extensive process necessitates participation with the public gallery and art show system. Identity politics is the norm. Arguably, this interaction gives diminishing marginal returns as for the role of mark-making as a humanistic artifact.

Intentional expressions as tropical expressionism.

Material stuff: print, paint, clay, wood, stone, resin, fibre glass, steel, fabric, paper.

Print

Print as in from classical to modern offers the ability to create a semantic map within a tiny field of the construction in the context of a mixed media composition.

Paint

Paint having a primordial backdrop within a humanistic expression is more suited to express complex human emotions.

Clay

Clay lends itself well to the construction of animated forms. An illusion of resemblances forms recognizable shapes. Clay as a medium animates the adjoining content, translating into a strong composition.

Wood

The properties of wood and fibre lend itself to give shape and texture. A process of wood turning enables shapes to be easily formed for a mixed media artwork.

photographic depictions as tropical expressionism in theory.

Street scenes

There is an ideal rationale in the history of street photography. The street as a social subject comes close to ethnography associated with Malinowski and a well-known early proponent of participant observation. The American photographer Bruce Davidson (Encyclopedia of contemporary photography) used this methodology with the photographed people he conversed with for over a year or more. Approaches such as that of Davidson become a photojournalism approach when social issues become the focus. Also of note is the photography of subcultures indicative in the Larry Clarks approach. A situational perspective is an approach that places the person within a setting that, with luck, brings the third element that Henri Cartier-Bresson pioneered. It’s a sense of place and how the humanistic part sits within a phenomenology of time. 

What is noticeable in these examples is grappling with identity politics concerning the image style’s intentions. The article object photography takes the concept of identity politics and places it within a broader visual arts expressionistic paradigm. 

Abstractions

Abstraction takes on various turns based on the kind of thematic elements. For example, the historical model of photographer Lucien Clergue worked on different themes, including the carrion. The abstraction relating to the dualism of life/death. Another source of conceptions is a more modernistic theme with subgenera dubbed Urban Raw. Urban photography has a graphic element associated with the black and white contrast images associated with Max Dupain. 

Photographic symbolism and syncretic representations.

 The field is multi-disciplinary as it includes social theorists, philosophers, linguists. So conceptualist investigating philosophy of language.  Dlubak Zbigniew photography was a method depicting objects with polysemantic content, like hand gestures. Artists such as Natalia LL take a whole-body syncretic representation through photography.

Landscape and the super wide angle for urban scape.

Landscape photography is associated with Robert Bourdeau, who gives stylistic content through the perspective of a scape. Ansel Adams‘ approach as a cathedral effect developed a technique that draws on environmental philosophy. The wide-angle for expression allows for a context within a composition. It’s a foundational cornerstone content supporting details that emerge through the ongoing refining process on any given project. 

Tropical art practices.

Is there such activity as ‘TROPICAL ART PRACTICES”? This article makes a case that if there is a unique feature to the art practice that makes it distinct, it might reside in what loosely might be the ‘lifestyle tropical.’ However, it’s a vague claim, but with analysis, a couple of conclusions are argued. Its how the artist might interact their practice with the wet and dry climatic conditions. It might be something to do with a conscious qualitative sense of place. 

Accumulations: dry tropical and wet tropical

Methodology for tropical accumulations

Tropical art practices include:

  • duration art is exposed to the particular locale.
  • exposure to fungi, ants, bugs, bird scat, rain, sun, spider webs.
  • inorganic as in common earth elements.
  • Cracking of paint.
  • warping of the frame
  • Expansion of paint and contraction

Between the wet and dry tropics.

This involves an authentic interaction through relocation. So the properties of a region takes on the properties of another region.

How this plays out on object art.

A non-human intentional state might be a green ant removing bits of the artwork for their purpose. The spider in need of a support. This might be a syncretic emergent form. Its a from of binary intentional agency. The human as a conceptual schema agent, the non human as a meta conceptual agent.

Site, processes and philosophy

Natural exposure for tropical art practices.

The site is the Cassowary coast, Hull river national park region. Artworks are left exposed to the natural elements as an outdoor art practice. It could be a day or for a number of month. A partial cover is placed through the tropical monsoon season. The short film gaze on nature gives an indication of this process.

Philosophical issues

The art of the rational intuition is an attempt to capture both the structural as well as anarchic elements of human intentional agency. The intentional upon the material artwork has a rational sense. This is so of the arts in general. However substance based form requires a methodological modernist consumeristic approach. The use of paraphanalia blends the rational ability to select based on normative considerations. Intuition uses a sense of purpose and reference of interpretation. Its a vague intentional act. The futile attempt to give voice to a obscure ostensible referent being the artwork.

Mixed media tropical art practices

Substance verses property based media.

Mixed media substance dualism is derived from philosophical mind/body dualism. This is a proxy for placing radically distinct substance together. Another sense of the association is that consciousness inhabits the media, or fragments of the artists intentional states. Though for the philosophical materialist the substance based mixed media might composed of combinations of media that defy normative notions of art.

Art practices with normative properties

A simple normative property based mixed media would be the traditional canvas with oil paint that is not normally considered mixed media. Another might be a photographic print on distinct paper types.

Tropical art practices with substance logics

A substance based approach to mixed media could be embedding a fine art print into fibreglass. Then by covering it with a resin the object photo is a unified interactive substance. This concept is akin to mind/body dualism of the Cartesian variety. However the mind body problem posses the logical fallacy. This is because non physical substance cannot logically interact with physical substances. The implication for mixed media methodology is that the substances may not interact and so fall apart. This cutting edge level of experiment is therefore contingent on supervening factors.

Syncretic gnostic emergent art.

Tropical art practices and syncretism

The essential shift in consciousness is one I noticed in the `1970’s at Mission beach while on a fruit orchard property. Jack Hare and his wife lived on the property at Bingal Bay. He lived what I now consider the idyllic tropical lifestyle. That is, his English ways had transformed in ways of syncretic naturalism. His skin was tawny and brown. Even in summer, he would swim in the ocean each day despite the danger of marine stingers. It was as if the tropics were reflected in the lived experience through form and action.

A Tropical Sublime Gnostic

Firstly there is some notion of a Tropical living experience. It is about tangible interconnecting lifestyles. People exist in distinct geopolitical tropical zones. This sense of an interpersonal phenomenology of being in a tropical zone becomes sublime since it transcends normative accounts of beauty. At the core, it is a sublime that straddles the tropical humidity and heat that transcend the modernist determinants of culture. This gnostic sense of what it is like to be a form of life possibly gives to a tropical art practice style. Its authenticity over the representational modes or learned methodology.

Emergent conceptualism, intuitional logics.

Probably best to begin with what is meant by intuitional logic. Formal logics deal with deductive and inductive logic. So of the superficial form: All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore Socrates is mortal. Intuitional logic would not disagree with this logic. However, the conclusion, according to intuition, may come to be Socrates is immortal. The premises true but with an absurd conclusion. However, absurdity may indicate a genuine philosophical problem.

Expressionistic tropical experimentation

This may be a non-rational logic and so non-scientific or mathematical in structure. Nevertheless, it is a sense of primordialism based on deep humanism. The absurd that forms the basis for the emergent conceptualism of going tropical is the sense of impulsive rationalism. The concept ’emergent’ fails to gain traction in the world of functionalism—however, it is the basis for forms of expressionistic experimentation that lead to vistas of possibilities.

Dream power

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Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The power to dream

Telecommunications infrastructure suggests imagination. Side A has at its top-left a communications tower. A form moves in the direction of the building, possibly on a quest. Is it to find answers to existential questions? Who knows? There is the power of human communication. There is power through advanced digital infrastructure—dream on in mixed media. A retrospective from the early 1990’s informs the progression in mixed media as a conceptual basis for an art practice.

Dreams and power

If the conclusion is to dream-on, it begs the question. What is a dream anyway? It may well be the walking state. It is the depiction on the bottom right of side A that completes the arc. The doll figure on the side of a dirt road (embedded photo print) along a hardly used road suggests the dream-like quality. There is also a reference to imagined community. This is fairly relevant given the rise of a new rules based society

Photographic elemental forms

Dream power as a photographic elemental. Taking a leaf out of a Gerry Badger’s notes as a photographer.

The photographer creates or describes a dance with space and time.

Contemporary photographers: editors, George Walsh, Colin Naylor, Micheal Held

This quote’s relevance, based on travel, suggests to capture the shots, there is human movement as an outdoor art form. So they travel up a mountain and to remote locations. Badger notes a physical connection to the subject. It seems ordinary in 2021, but Badger made this note in the early last century.

Animation Dream power

OBJECT PHOTOGRAPHY

Pragmatic considerations

Object photography as embedded into a social context.

  • An image is an object with connectivity to a network of persons.
  • Photo object correlates to a point of view that is unique.
  • Photographer’s view is interdependent with their context. 

How a print operates in mixed media with semantic content.

  • Mixed media (found objects in the region) can give a sense of place to the print
  • the material content of personal interest ( carve in clay a motif of region)
  • expressionistic style (cubist, swirls, dots) reflect personal identity .

Changing gears towards abstractions

Object photography entails a classic paradox.

The philosophical point is the photographer is part of the picture, although not visible. Significantly, it’s the content that exists as a binary of self and not-self—a classic self-reference paradox of the type exposed by a famous philosopher in the early part of the 20th century. The action of capturing a scene embraces everything of an instance photographically. That is the entirety of the scene (image as object photo) is a set of all the sets (discrete objects in the scene) within the scene. There seems to be a recursive sense to the photographic scene. So given the photo contains everything in the scene, and ‘everything’ must be something, then by definition it (the photo) is a class by token the photo is a representation of an aspect of reality that is identical to itself.

Photo object analytics

The question arises: is the photo (as a class) a member of itself or not? If the photo is a member of itself by token of being unique object containing all the classes of possible associations within the object then it (photo) is a set of all sets. The photo contains itself along side all the representational objects within the photo. Though clearly it also is not a member of itself. That is the photo stands apart from all the representational objects the photo contains. Therefore the photo contains itself and does not contain itself. This is the case where if the denial of the conclusion that the photograph belongs to some other series of photos (hence the term photographic object is false) leads by necessity to the classic Russell’s paradox that the set of all sets both contains itself and does not contain itself. Therefore it seems futile to argue for the case of object photography.

Infinite conjectures on a blue monochrome

The photo is like a time slice of the whole field; returning to the image, it’s like turning the classic time piece sand glass. The event runs out again but in a diminished or dramatic form depending on the image and viewer. This ability to return to the photo as see it afresh again and again, as well as the sentence expressions about a depiction being possibly endless is baffling to contemplate. It might be equated to a somewhat a smaller infinity that is itself a sub set of a greater infinity, within say a thematic selection of photo’s. It is in the history of photography that certain photographers have made a career of reducing the possible infinity through making the image simple. However this only is a case of being conscientious based on preferences of what to represent but still would allow for endless expressions about the object. A counter factual would be a monochromatic colour field that seems to entail a one liner as in ‘this is a blue colour field’. However, on another account there are infinite expressions on this too. Consider a standard art historian analysis of the nature on that monochrome. Then a thought experiment of a possibly infinite chain of art historians each having their individual conjecture on the blue monochrome colour field.

A Photographic capture for covering in clear caste resin and embedded in air dry clay .

  • keep the subject as primary focus, avoid cluttered surrounds.
  • once you have a image printed on high quality paper it can be prepared for placement on a surface.
  • glue the image and press it so it sticks to the surface.

Add complexity through layers.

The binary builds meaningful relations for maximizing semantic contrasts. This layered binary style fits well with representing relationships. The first is a natural color binary of shade and light, the next being industry and nature serving industry demarked by rail lines. The contrast of a super wide-angle shot of a sunset with a tiny fuel tank jutting from the darkness as the simplicity of a structural intrusive—the relations urban grand buildings as a binary with the street light at night. Birds hold a binary with their surroundings through the flight and by perching as observers of nature and humanism. The slideshow above indicates the straight style composition as minimalist.

2. Layers in photography for mixed media

It is through layers within photography that can drive a complex narrative. This style works well within mixed media artwork. The photography mixed media enables the use of this style of photography. 

  • Focus through glass for reflection of a person walking past correlated with the non reflective image behind the glass.
  • Focus through a grid or lines of wire.
  • A puddle after the rain acts as a reflective layer.
  • Objects such as cars in traffic as block objects layer abstraction.

Object photography within the mixed media.

One method is to prepare a tonal background. When dry, then add more complexity, so the printed image stands out. Another methodology would be to place the print and build up from that thematic referential point. Where both methods converge is the intentional use of variable media.

3. Dramatic object photography for mixed media

Whereas the other style main focus is on the aesthetics of elements. A subtle shift may be due to subject having a social dimension that through composition gives a dynamic message.

Dramatic geometric optics.

The nifty 50mm focal length is the choice documentary lens and ideal for the straight and layering street shooting styles. Photography with this focal length means little optical distortion if the picture is at least f11. It’s great to shoot with a prime lens, for it means any geometric effects are true to that focal length. The super wide-angle stretch space while the super-telephoto compresses or flattens space. Using objects with the optics to match can give radical interpretations of the thing photographed.

Object photography placement in mixed media.

The use of resin in mixed media for optical effects.

There are two approaches to enhance a photography print. Firstly, build up gradually layer by layer a mound of resin. Then place the image on the top covered with a thin layer. Objects can be placed within the resin so further developing a sense of 3D perspective. Secondly, there is the method of laying the print down and building layers of resin over the image. The process creates an optical magnification of the print. This style works well to create a focal point of the entire mixed media composition.

An example of photographic print embedded in clay on the edge of a four sided interconnect construction.

The series of images below printed with variable levels of resin poured over the print. The properties allow for a plethora of symbolic possibilities that can inform the painting as a whole or in part.

Painterly effects that blend with surrounding media.

The selection of black and white photography over colour.

The first choice is to use black and white prints. This choice is because the color may fade or change. Black and white images are graphic representations and so stand out within a complicated composition. However, color can be the right choice so long as the inks are of high quality.

Embedding the image so to build up a block of resin.

This technique isolates the image print. There are various methods used for this process as follows.

  • Lino block that is cut out so to embed the image.
  • Use air dry clay to build up around the image.
  • Putty can be used though needs to hardened by adding resin.
  • Rolled cloth or paper adhered to surface.
  • embed objects within resin as an added feature.

This method, if used with care, can bring incredible detail to the photo print. However, it works well with abstracts with distinctive spaces. Oils are preferable, given there is no absorption into the paper.

Articles related to this source material.

This is an article this author wrote on outdoor art

Tips on Photography art tropical Townsville.

The relation of photography to outdoor art.

The genera of outdoor art involves amongst durable materials a host of elements not equated with the more prototypical outdoor art depictions. Photography prints are an emerging field for outdoor art. Digital images can be projected onto walls in urban spaces. Also small prints can be placed within a mixed media context. However photography for mixed media is a prior consideration given the theme in relation to the materials used for the mixed media construction.

What does the Townsville region present?

The migration of flocks of birds to the Townsville conservation park is a good place to start.

What locations offer various perspectives?

The Jacana bird hide along the freshwater lagoon. Also the perspective a just inland at dawn offers plenty of opportunity to capture flight.

What selection of birds?

Brolgas, magpie geese, herons, Ibis are common amongst the recorded 280 species.

How does this example translate into art photography ?

The way a technical and the decisive moment interact.

What locations around Townsville are good for flight photography?

Around Mount Stuart for red-winged parrots, red tailed black cockatoos, egrets, and ibis.

Light as a tropical dynamic.

Have a sense of how the photography can be integrated with other media

Set up as diagram with a graphics program or sketch.

Get out and find a method to capture the selection of photographs

So for birds getting in various positions can be useful and the use of a super telephoto lens.

Compile the images for a sense integration with other media

This step takes the most significant amount of trial and re-trials.

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Art photography for mixed media.

  1. Aim for a good set of prime lenses for art photography.
  • Super wide 24mm lens: epic landscape; encompassing interior.
  • Documentary 50mm lens: street; humanistic; general purpose.
  • telephoto Portrait 150mm lens: ideal proportions, close-up street scenes.
  • super telephoto 600mm: landscape compression; wildlife capture.

2. Selection of art photography to place into a mixed media format.

  • self contained, or blend into media as a photographic choice.
  • Will it be verging on abstraction or figurative?
  • Will the photo be codependent or independent of other images?
  • Is there a theme that will form a body of work?

Outdoor art for this kind of mixed media experimentalism requires a philosophical approach that takes into account various world views which is discussed in outdoor art: a philosophical guide to its place in the tropics.

3. How to place the art photography within a mixed media?

  • The print should be initially coated with a protective solution.
  • Place the print within the mixed media.
  • Composition is about perspective so use an adhesive as the decisive moment.
  • Layering resins on top of the image can bring out a magnification of the image.
  • construct a container (putty, paper, wax) around the image for resin.


What are some tips for doing photography?

I cover this topic in an article that takes Townsville conservation bird park as a guide.

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