Abstract No. 1
Abstract No. 1 - Garage Wall
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TECHNICAL
INFORMATION:

Photographed: April 6, 2002
Format: Linhof V 4x5
Film: TRI-X
Lens: 180mm
Exposure: 1/8 second
f/stop: f32 - 1/2 stop
Negative Development: Pyro, Normal
Printed on Epson 1280 printer, archival matt paper, VM hex B&W archival inks, Paul Roark curves.

     I spotted this garage wall behind the Chevron service station while going to the post office in Omak. I initially was drawn by a bush that glowed around 5 p.m. against the black tar-papered wall.

     I returned a few days later and photographed the bush. But I continued to be intrigued by the peeling wallpaper and the exposure of what lay beneath it.

     So I steered my camera to this one area that I found very nice, especially the curling of the paper like petals of a flower. The original negative contains a bit more information, such as wood tacked to the garage to keep the tar paper in place.

Paul Klee face
Paul Klee's "Ecce, 1940"

     Oddly, about two weeks after looking at this print I realized I had another hidden face. Or so I can see, with tar paper curled at left over a left eye, mouth below. It's all very abstract, but does remind me of a Paul Klee face I once saw.

     One of the nice things about digitizing a negative is the ability to print out various croppings, or even various tones from warm to cold. I did that, then took several prints to work where I asked people which prints they liked best.

     There was no clear consensus! Some liked a warm-tone print, others a cold-toned print. Some like the picture cropped, others liked it as I originally took it.

     The print shown here is cropped in black-and-white with no toning.

     As it seems with many of my images, a couple weeks after I took my photos the bush that initially drew me to the image had been broken off, strewn about a parking area. Then a couple weeks after that, people had re-sided the garage, hiding the tar paper for another generation.

Garage as originally seen. Face is a bit to the right of the middle of the wall

(Click on picture for bigger image)

     Inspiration for the print can be attributed to such influences as Brett Weston, Aaron Siskind and Oliver Gagliani.

     Let me know what you think of the new direction with my seeing and printing.


Copyright © 2002 by Al Camp. All Rights Reserved.
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