By the way

EVERYTHING i tried to work on yesterday got fucked up. every line i cut was crooked, every photoshop manipulation looked like shit etc. So everything i touched yesterday has to be redone. it was a waste of time. i guess i was just having an "off" day.

today is a new day. wish me luck :)

Getting Nervous

What i did: I made a group of new photo transfers which i brought in for the second small group crit. In the last crit we talked about lighting- source, color, diffusion and also construction/materials. In this crit it made sense to talk about image content, show more images, and discuss combinations or grouping options. I also brought in a black and a white frame so i could get feedback on which works best. This week I also bought and cut new wood and replaced the plywood with masonite which was suggested to me in the last crit. I found that it looks better, and is much easier to cut.

what i discovered: that black is the way to go for the boxes. i discovered this week that mixing black and white with color digitally gives me the same satisfaction as using colored light and i got a much more positive response with this technique. the trick to my project seems to keep producing in a way that still leaves the groupings flexible in the end. this is why i decided to make all the images the same size and orientation so that i can make groupings last without having to remake anything. Mark would like me to seek help in getting them to be all wired together and a decision about groupings would have to be made before then.

What's next: i am doing my best to get a few of the boxes completely constructed this weekend so that i can have conversations about whether they are fire safe and how to wire them together safely this week. this week is going to be very difficult in the realm of time running out. i'm scared.

here are some images i showed:

photo boxes try 2

what i did: i redid the photo box previously shown. I used new photo transfers, added layers of the image printed on transparency sheets, and added a layer of blue gel. the effect was much closer to what i am looking to achieve. i also made another, larger photo box using red light instead of gels in order to purposely have uneven colored light.

What i discovered: I got a lot of important, thoughtful feedback in my small group yesterday. It is difficult for me to cut pliwood well and i am not happy with the texture. my group agreed and suggested that i use masonite and get help with the cutting. we had a good conversation about making some decisions so that the little time remaining can be focused on less variables. i agree that its time to get practical about what is obtainable and how to maximize success with little time. feedback confirmed for me that my photo technique is working which makes me happy since i spent over a month figuring it out!

what's next: its time to find the right materials for the boxes, and come up with a system to mass produce them well so that i can focus my brainpower on the content of the photos, how many are in a group, how they are arranged and lit. in the immediate future i will be doing photo transfers to bring in and get feedback on and getting new materials for boxes. I've decided to make each image have its own small box and then group the boxes together afterwards. this way if i decide to redo or eliminate one photo, i don't have to completely redo all my work. it will open up more ability for unique groupings and wall arrangements.

yesterday i did not have my camera with me so later today i am going to photograph the 2 boxes i showed yesterday so i can post them on here.

photo box try 1

What i did: I took apart the lightbox i had made right before break in order to modify it. i played around with printing replicas of the photo transfers on transparencies in order to have multiple layers and darken the black tones. i found that photocopying the transfers with certain settings works better than scanning and printing. i got my colored gels in the mail and have been comparing that effect to colored light bulbs. I have a few different lightboxes i want to make next so i decided it would be more efficient to do all the photo transfers at once, then construct all the wooden boxes at the same time also. this week i edited, printed, and transferred 9 images which have been drying for over 24 hours and still aren't completely dry. i stocked up on wood and other materials such as a plexiglass, glue, nails etc. over spring break.

What i discovered: i'm on the right track. im getting results i'm happy with and am enjoying the making process. I'm worried about time, and about how my pieces will look as a collection in the gallery. i should have a redone piece and two new pieces to show for the crit next week.

What's next: over the next week ill be constructing and painting the new lightboxes and i'm looking forward to new feedback so i can take it into account as i continue with my collection.

here's my photobox thing from last crit when i stuck a red light in the top just playing around:


and here's how the photos originally looked: