Beyond the Camera: Large-scale Manipulated Photographs

“I assembled these fourteen photographic works for their size, their “hands on” physical approach, and their provocative imagery which is suggestive rather than purely descriptive. They all reveal the involvement of the artist’s hand in their creation: before, during or after exposure.

Approximately half of the works are printed on photographic mural paper while the others are arranged from composite images. The influences of other contemporary art are evident in these works and several make direct references to art history and archeology.

These varied works are linked together by each artist’s individual intent to manipulate the photographic process. The artists did not limit themselves to familiar techniques. Besides pushing their photographs into a larger scale they experimented with: paint, light, collage, photomontage, tone, and construction. The combined results of their efforts are the unique works in this exhibition; several even invite viewer participation.

As an artist myself, who works primarily in sculpture, I related intuitively to the physical presence and abstracted imagery of these works. I responded to the explorative processes, combined techniques, scale, surface, and mixing of media. Each artist succeeds without relying totally on a clear depiction of subject. These works go beyond the camera – the primary tool involved – while remaining distinctly photographic.

-Eileen Doktorski, Curator