Our group of artists at Arta Gallery took this year’s Contact theme of Constructed Image and gave it a twist. We called it Construction/Deconstruction and it led me down a path I’d wanted to explore for a long time – one of theme and variation.
I found the perfect subject while rummaging through a box of old photographs of my parents. I scanned the image and merged it with a bold, graphic background that I created from several of my photographs resulting in a lyrical portrait of youthful lovers stepping into a world of infinite possibilities. Their radiant faces and linked arms are symbolic of youth’s confidence and love’s trust and this image became the theme around which I worked my variations.
By isolating the iconic elements of the photograph and digitally manipulating them, I created new images that relate to the original yet have a life of their own. The use of vibrant, contrasting colour, light and shadow as well as layered and juxtaposed images make it difficult for the eye to quickly discern the picture, mirroring the many layers of complexity inherent in relationships.
Creating this series was extremely exhilarating. When I finished one image I had to start another, almost like watching a compelling soap opera develop it’s run-away plot. The emotional life shifts from image to image, invoking tenderness, passion, hurt and anger and as the images break down we see how tenuous relationships can be. The final image represents the resolution of conflict with the affirmation that the bond of love is constant and eternal.