These photographs document the things I found in my great-grandparents basement. Now that they have passed on these are among the things they have left behind. They’ve been forgotten for decades, from the oil cans that my great-grandfather used for his car to the bottles of beer they once drank. By taking these humble objects out of their original environment, I am giving them a new purpose, and with my camera, I transform them from forgotten junk to things of beauty.
As part of my degree requirement for my BFA I'm required to prepare my own solo art show. The bulk of this project has been a few years in the making. Back in 2008 I started photography my great-grandmothers house. I've always been fantasied with how it's suck in time. My great-grandfather's family moved into the house in about the 1920's (I've come to that date because of photographic evidence since I hoard the old family photos) and the house has been in the family since then. One day, I'm not to sure why, but I decided to venture into her basement.
I think the reason I found this space so exciting was the fact it's been the most untouched of the house. Even before my Nana had passed on things had already been solidified in their places, already covered in dust and spiderwebs.
I couldn't help think about the history of these objects, the purpose they once served, and in some cases the multiple purposes they once served. My great-grandmother's generation didn't believe in things going to waste so often these cans and containers had things in them. The lids had become so rusted I couldn't get them off but I could hear the screws and other things jittering around in there.
I had first brought some of these interior shots to my BFA review and I was encouraged to push them further. I was trying to find another way to give these objects a new life. Another way to make them important again. One of the cans made me think of Jasper Johns, and his piece Painted Bronze, and even Marcel Duchamp questioning the very idea of what is art.
So I decided to take these objects out of there original environment and take them into the studio. Looking at the work of other still life photographers, including Irving Penn, I decided to go for a empty white background removing anything but the objects so you could really get an idea of the character of each of them. Just by this simple change, the objects are put into focus alone. This also allowed for the objects to be placed in a new light. The forgotten junk is now art.
Since this was meant to installed in the gallery, I also had that to take into consideration. Thinking back on my Modern Art classes I remembered Joseph Kosuth's work One and Three Chairs. With the definition, a photography of the chair, and the chair itself, the view got three complete views of the same objects. Inspired by this I realized I had to included the actual objects in the installation.
I originally intended for the arrangement of the photos to mimic the arrangement of the objects in the basement but it didn't really end up like I wanted, but they still have this look of a lack of order to the arrangement.
Now that it's up and the reception is over the real question is (as it is to all artists): What's next?
