I am fascinated by the idea that meaning has become embedded in our perception of certain objects and their images.
We are beings with a conscious and subconscious aspect; and symbols have the power to reveal subtle truths to us. I use photomontage to express these ideas. I explore the power of symbols to shape our world view. Each photomontage is like a jigsaw mystery whose parts must be understood to fully grasp their relevance as a whole.
You may not realise it. But symbols underpin everything we see; say; and do. They have the potential to exert influence upon us. They are also the foundation of our material perception.
So what is photomontage?
Photomontage is a collage made from photographs. Pieces and elements of several photographs are cut out and reassembled. This forms a new composition. This composition may then be re-photographed to form a seamless photographic print.
An alternative method to this is accomplished with image editing software. This process is also referred to as compositing.
The Victorian method of ‘combination printing’ as used by Oscar Gustave Reijlander (1857) is also called photomontage. This involved printing from more than one negative; onto a single piece of photographic paper.
Despite the perception that digital technology has made compositing easy, much of the work produced is highly involved and rivals the demands of ‘traditional arts’.
Please see my artist statement here and Axisweb profile here.