Carmen

Secret

Roget's

Karasu

First Edition

La Bruja / 16" x 24\ La Bruja / 16" x 24\ La Bruja / 16" x 24\ La Bruja / 16" x 24\ La Bruja / 16" x 24"

Angel Food

Indigo

Torso

Butterfly 2

Maze

Piece of Cake

Oh!

Coppelia

Shitake

Leo

Moth

Blue Labyrinth

Still Life

Snow

Carousel

Kaleidoscope

All images are available in: 14x14, 24x24, 36x36. Each size available in editions of 25
I arrive at some of my images by chance. Others, through experimentation.
Without these two elements, my work would not flow easily from one idea
to the next. A random encounter on Drew Street with the Houston Yellow
Pages was the primary inspiration for this project. After that chance
meeting, I began the search for more books, and more methods to change
their appearance.
I realized I owned many books that were no longer of use to me, or for
that matter, anyone else. Would I ever need "Windows 95?" After
soaking it in the bathtub for a few hours, it had a new shape and purpose.
Half Price Books became a regular haunt, and an abandoned house gave me
a set of outdated reference books, complete with mold and neglect. Each
book tells me how to begin according to its size, type of paper, and sometimes
contents.
As I begin the process, I first consider the contents of each volume.
I didn't spend more than a few seconds on "Windows 95," but
the "New Century Dictionary of the English Language," is a treasure
that, because of its fascinating illustrations, and archaic examples,
saved it from taking on a new form. Sculpting segued to thoughts on obsolescence
and the relevance of libraries in this century.
Half a century ago, students researched at home with the family set of
encyclopedias, or took a trip to the library to find needed information.
Now, owning a computer, and connecting to the internet gives a student
the ability to complete a research paper without ever going near a library.
I have fully embraced that technology, and would not want to be without
it, but, I also fear that it is rapidly leading us to rely less and less
on the reference books common in the last two centuries.
With the discarded books that I have acquired, I am attempting to blur the line between objects, sculpture, and photography. This project has become a journey that continues to evolve. The new images in gallery #1 are the beginning of a series that is more about color than in my previous work.
A final note – No important books have been injured during the making of any of these photographs.
