Photomontage

In exploring the relationships of imagery for the I Ching series, I realized that these images could be used in different monolithic compositions based to some degree on Mark Rothko's late stage "Multiform" compositions. These compositions were usually three or four rectangular spaces in a vertical stack. His works consisted of pure painted surfaces interacting with each other to create mythological relationships based on form, color, and surface modulation in a flat picture plane, honoring true "Plastic Art".

In my Photomontage Art, I have taken Rothko's classic monolithic composition approach to the picture plane and used natural light photography, consisting of images of sky, land, water, wood, earth, wind, fire, and abstract surfaces to create the artpiece.

These compositions present the opportunity to explore the relationships of color, textures, and iconic imagery in varieties of rectangular forms within a specific space. In addition to the varied spatial articulations, these image-compositions naturally engender tensions, emotions, and mythological interpretations.

Another aspect of these pieces is the idea of simultaneous vision.

Above, below, and in-between, the eye moves and the viewer interprets the relationships of the images using their own set of values, thus creating a personal esthetic response to the pieces.

The photography to create these works was taken over the last two years in Sonoma, Marin, and Mendocino counties. Many of these images were taken at the Schollenberger Bird Sanctuary along the Petaluma River in Petaluma, California, showcasing the park's many moods through the seasons.