Jerry Uelsmann and Maggie Taylor have made distinguished careers out of manipulating images: he's an old-school darkroom guy, while she's embraced the computer. For this challenge, they provided ten images for you to remix into an original composition.
Though there were a number of interesting images provided, which created a plethora of possible faux photographs, I chose to go in a more nature oriented poetic direction. It's loosely based on Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". The concepts of opening up to new ideas and possibilities along with the freedom to choose new directions really came to the fore as I worked on this piece.
Bryan
René Treviño, Butterflies Encircling the Man in a Bowler Hat, 2012, acrylic on frosted Mylar, 11 x 11 in.
I was immediately drawn to the butterfly image. In a flash I thought it should become a wreath or frame of butterflies…then when I saw the cute gentleman in the bowler hat I knew what would be in the frame. I stretched/distorted the oval into a circle in Photoshop, and then my husband helped me create the circle of butterflies using a combination of Google Sketch Up and Photoshop. Once I had these elements that I had distorted and manipulated on the computer, I printed them out so that I could use them as references for my small 11 x 11 inch painting. This is a similar process to what I do for a lot of my artwork. I start with research, then photo manipulation, and then I use the manipulated (re-mixed) images to create my paintings. This painting is acrylic on frosted Mylar, and though it looks like a digital image (especially when you look at it on a computer) it is actually hand painted with tiny paintbrushes entirely by hand. The finish is matte, and since the frosted Mylar is transparent, I can paint on both sides. So in this image, the black is painted from the front, and the color is painted on the back. In spite of how tight the results often are, I love that my hand and my collected marks are in the finished results…it is a process that fuses digital and analog.
Rene
I collect small rooms for my barkinglips videos, and so I used this one to create an image called "WANT A COOKIE?" using your Greek head, my own hand, a dog biscuit, and my dog Robert Browning. Thank you again for the opportunity to do all this; it is great fun.
Linda
I'm calling this garden - again I had trouble downloading the zip file so I used the few immages post on the page
Thanks
Nick
Based on the idea of the way the crow flies (a book I read ages ago). Used the model head, crow, butterfly and sky among other added elements in Photoshop.
Cookie
All textures, color and elements began only from images in the the original group of ten. Photoshop was used to put the final image together,
Mara
All elements, textures, colors were taken only from the 10 images, nothing else was added. Photoshop was used to create the final image.
Mara
I have always admired Jerry Uelsmann's photo montage and did a lot of it in my own darkroom in the 80s and 90s and now utilize Photoshop. At first I chose just a few of the images but then I thought it would be more of a challenge to use all of them and still keep the composition interesting.
John
I could not download your zip file for some reason and only had a few hours until the deadline so I used the image
you have showing the 5 from the web page. This is the work I came up with.
enjoy
Nick
The title is Handyman, and the interpretation is left up to the viewer.
Michael
The title is Hand Formation, and the interpretation is left up to the viewer.
Michael
i remember fields of sunflowers (girasole) in italy one moment facing the sun, in hope of gain the next, bowing away, as if in disgrace. light clouds brush the light sky with peaceful strokes. transparent butterflies drift and flutter above and between obedient rows of stalks. august in the umbrian countryside and my soul, my mind fuse with all the beauty that surrounds me.
jacqueline
I began by compiling images, and then tried to allow them to dictate the outcome... much like the authors I hear about who allow their characters to call the shots on their stories.
Becky
What stories does the old house have to tell?
Brenda
I like the butterfly against the negative ceiling.
Brenda
There is a stillness in her waiting pose.
Brenda
These elements seemed to work together for me.
Brenda
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