Journey to the past

 

Yesterday I was telling you about how this new photography technique I'm working with reminded me of my long history of using physical collage. I gave an example of this by describing feather bouquets I made of found objects from the beaches of Point Reyes.

Here, actually, is the passage (if you'll forgive my quoting from so recently as yesterday!):

When I was first in art school I would go to Point Reyes National Seashore and collect old bottles, stones, seaweed, crab claws, and feathers, and then assemble them into slightly bizarre, and, to me, lovely, bouquets. At times I would have sprawling, yet organized collections of found items spread out over my Oakland living room (sometimes to the consternation of my roommates!). I don't believe I submitted any of the finished items to any of my art classes. But I'm sure I was fascinated with the results and consumed at times by the process.

In writing this it struck me that, like with so many of the art works I spent long hours obsessing over, I had no pictures. And as much as I would have loved showing you an example of what I was talking about, I couldn't.

But a little while after finishing yesterday's post, I started wondering:

What if I tried recreating these antique bottle bouquets using these new photo techniques?

So I spent an hour or two and, though the results were not perfect, they do get the general idea across pretty well. It was impossible to get the detail work in, or the subtle symmetricity of the ocean's gifts, but I would say the overall impression is fairly similar to my bottles of years past.

So here you go...