Neophotography (Working Series)
Photography is the practice of capturing and displaying reflected light. In contrast, neon is emitted light. Broken down, the word “photography” literally means “writing with light.” The two mediums, neon and photography, both play with photons, but on the opposite ends of the principles of light. I happen to have a deep love for the two of them.
My series, Neophotography, which directly translates to “new writing with light,” explores both sides of light, as a reflected and emitted medium. By taking images that I have made with a camera and film and translating them into neon, I am linking, and further exploring, the idea of what it means to draw with light. I think this working series serves as a small testament to the power of light as a medium for creative expression.
In addition to being unequivocally obsessed, neon as a medium allows me to create works of art that are both visually striking and emotionally evocative. By taking mundane images and recreating them in neon, I’m allowing these compositions to see and be seen in a new light.
Step Walker 2023
Self-Portrait 2023
Tub Faucet 2023
Liminal Fluorescent 2022
White neon is my least favorite. I often equate it to a hospital’s fluorescents; sterile.
Bird on a Wire 2022
Minimalist image of a bird sitting on a wire, a common compositional cliche within the world of photography. One that many photographers, amateur and professional alike, tend to feel a compulsion to make. Myself included.
“Magnolia Blossom, Tower of Jewels” by Bing after Imogen Cunningham 2021
Photography, in addition to neon, has also been a huge part of my life. Out of the long list of greats, one of my favorite photographers is Imogen Cunningham, an American woman photographer who was a photographic icon of the 20th century. A member of Group f/64, Cunningham was a proponent of extremely sharp-focus imagery. Although her work spans many different realms of photography, one of her most notable series of works includes beautifully expansive black and white images of flowers and other botanicals. I would argue that “Magnolia Blossom, Tower of Jewels” is one of her most famous photographs, and certainly one of my favorites of hers.