Homage to Charles Burchfield
#1 Solarized Leaf Collage, 18x18" inkjet print
In the Woods is a recent (2010) digital re-vision of a photography project completed in 1974, The Georgia Woods Series, while I was living and teaching in Atlanta, Georgia. I had essentially forgotten this early work until I visited for the first time the Burchfield-Penney Art Center in Buffalo, NY. Re-discovering Charles Burchfield (1893-1967), especially his late paintings, and reading once again his wonderful journal writings inspired my re-discovery and the resurrection of the Georgia Woods Series photographs.
I scanned the original silver gelatin prints and in many cases dramatically modified the digital files with Photoshop software. The digital prints are larger and much more luminous and visually articulate compared to the originals.
In the Woods (a title I chose in homage to several titles Burchfield used for his paintings) consists of two series of images: 1) Solarized Leaf collages - images suspended in black space; and 2) the Faint Photographs, lite-toned images of wooded landscapes and closeups of leaves.
This body of work is for me about experiencing the natural world from the inside -- inside the woods, inside the leaves, inside the human psych where it’s possible to get in touch with a primal, mythic, transcendent dimension we humans share with the natural world.
This body of work represents a special kind of seeing - "seeing the outer world inwardly" - which breaks down the apparent separations between my Self and the outer apparent world. In this kind of seeing everything is transformed, everything is alive and experienced as an animated aspect of my own trans-personal Being.
I continued working with multiple-exposure and solarization of the print in the two projects that followed. I invite you to visit The Atlanta City Series, 1975 and The Persephone Series, 1976-77,
#2 Solarized Leaf Collage, Falling leaves 18x18”
#3 Solarized Leaf Collage, Mythic Bird 18x18”
#4 Solarized Leaf Collage, Leaping Firehorse 18x18”
#5 Solarized Leaf Collage, Two Embracing Leaves 18x18”
#6 Spider Web 18x18”
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A dream...
Every flower in the garden was white... ...white gladiolas, which Shakespeare said were his special pride--
”Crescent Moon Gladiolas” he called them, and on closer examination, I saw the reason for his name--
...Altho I did not actually turn and look, I could have seen the crescent moon itself low in the southwest sky. An atmosphere of peace, and remoteness, hovered over the scene, and I thought how far away and trivial the war seemed.
With the smell of mignonette in my nostrils, I awoke.Charles Burchfield December 22, 1942
#7 In the Woods, Faint Photographs, Glowing Tree 22x17”
#8 In the Woods, Faint Photographs, Morning Bird Song 22x17”
#9 In the Woods, Faint Photographs, Leaves 22x17”
#10 In the Woods, Faint Photographs, Inside a leaf #1 22x17”
In the Woods, Faint Photographs, Symmetrical Photograph (visit my 12x12" Studies, Book Six project)
OTHER RELATED PROJECTS:
Faint Photographs
Portraits, Faces & Figures
Combines
In the Woods
The Persephone Series
Welcome Page to The Departing Landscape website which includes the complete hyperlinked listing of my online photography projects dating back to the 1960's, my resume, contact information, and more.
