more than photography

A couple of months ago I began painting over the surface of the "Vietnam: more than war" bamboo scrolls (a series of images photographed in Vietnam, printed on large canvas and mounted with bamboo poles) at the Wedge Gallery. Since then I have rebuilt the scrolls and done a lot of talking on how the images should be painted over considering the substrate. I always had other artists in mind, to take my creation and do their thing with it, adding a new element of interest. Finally, it was decided that I, being a multi-faceted artist, should be the one to do the deed. Ben Betsalel, a good friend and an excellent painter, was great with giving me the proper push to do so...actually throwing the first random splash of muddy water onto one of the canvases, I almost became sick to the stomach and definitely felt faint....I now see that as a growing pain...I have always been very detail-oriented and meticulous with my work, the method/process bleeding into my personal life and perspective on it. Ben's latest work, "the weather, or not..." is the anti-thesis of that, letting go and accepting life/art as it happens at the foundation of the work. So from that point on I've been having a blast throwing paint, freeing myself from anal-retentive tendencies, all the while pursuing a year-old experimental idea. In hindsight, so many doors of perception (thank you Aldous Huxley) have opened concerning my interpretation of the series and individual pieces, from juxtaposing an abstract layer of paint with the realist photographic base (finding a whole yin-yang of sorts), to seeing the positive hopes for Vietnam as a growing, peaceful, independent country contrasted with their tumultuous history (more balance), I can't remember having so much fun. Here are some images to check out, hope you enjoy!