Just the Overwhelming Presence, 2011 - Limited Edition 2 of 10 Photograph

Limited Edition 2/10 I specifically am drawn to smoke signals in the context of war. Right beside the brutality, there is something slow and graceful that wraps and dances through the landscape. I know this fascination can be viewed as horrific given the ugliness of war. However, I am interested in the phenomenon that the occurrence of something beautiful is contingent on an opposite or less attractive event happening at or around the same time. In Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now, the slow moving scenes along the Nung River, where every now and then magenta smoke would rise from the green jungle floor and mingle among the foliage, is my starting point. I began this project while living in New York City when the United States was immersed in two wars. As I commuted through Grand Central Station every day, there were women and men in uniform and armed with assault rifles. The reality of war and death created a great amount of fear and anxiety in me. Although, at the same time, I enjoyed my existence in New York, and I found great freedom and joy in the city. Through my artwork, I decided to further explore the idea that an unlovely occurrence exists at the same time, and perhaps as a result of, an event that is quite spectacular. Through photography, I am exploring the idea of visual communication with multiple meanings. I am interested in both the pure aesthetic as well as the intellectual meaning and literal uses of smoke. Smoke can be used to transmit a message over a long distance. It can represent danger or peaceful presence. It can mark a target or a landing zone for aircrafts, or it could be used as a screen to blind and an enemy infantry. Whatever its intended purpose, a smoke signal announces a human presence. As an artist, I find smoke signals significant in a similar way that I view art in general. There can be multiple meanings and layers. Through my artwork, my intention is to explore these ideas. The photograph is printed on Fuji Professional Crystal Archive Super Type PD Luster paper. It is then mounted on acid free foam board, and then framed with a poplar raw frame that measures 1 3/4” deep and shows 3/4” of wood around the face of the image. All framing materials are high quality archival supplies. The image is glazed with an Ultra Violet Filtering Acrylic that filters out virtually all of the ultraviolet light that fades pigments and destroys paper.