Feeling Blue: An Exploration of Text & Image (2016) exists as a combined effort in exploring both visual and verbal narratives relating to ideas of depression, happiness, and progress. My peer Henry Rincavage and I were both working on our own projects (him working on a poem for a text based piece for our Post Studio Projects course and I on my cyanotypes), and after discovering that we were both looking to do a show came upon the idea of "blue." Henry's piece deals with his depression and healing process, while mine focused primarily on the process of cyanotype photography. However, both focus on processes of healing, creation, and conveying a narrative in unique ways.
Henry's text piece, a poem titled "In My Eyes," was accompanied by a self portrait aluminum casting, providing a visual cue for the beginning of the work, allowing the viewer to hold an image in their mind and slowly transition to a new concept based on the flow of the verse. My work showed a reverse process of my cyanotype pieces over the course of the semester, ending with the first practice cyanotype I made. Both our pieces led to a new center project a text piece called What Is Blue? in which viewers were encouraged to give their answer. Many of the responses held a profound and poetic quality, while others took a more simplistic (and sometimes comedic), yet still effective route. Each answer revealed a part of their character, building a collection of identities that has the potential to be infinite. As long as their are people there will always be answers and new ways of seeing and feeling "blue."
Henry's text piece, a poem titled "In My Eyes," was accompanied by a self portrait aluminum casting, providing a visual cue for the beginning of the work, allowing the viewer to hold an image in their mind and slowly transition to a new concept based on the flow of the verse. My work showed a reverse process of my cyanotype pieces over the course of the semester, ending with the first practice cyanotype I made. Both our pieces led to a new center project a text piece called What Is Blue? in which viewers were encouraged to give their answer. Many of the responses held a profound and poetic quality, while others took a more simplistic (and sometimes comedic), yet still effective route. Each answer revealed a part of their character, building a collection of identities that has the potential to be infinite. As long as their are people there will always be answers and new ways of seeing and feeling "blue."
