Description
Afterimage is a new series of work that begins with found photographs of gardens
and floral arrangements from the 1930s – selected for their lush patterns,
compositions, and high contrast. Through layering of photocopies and single-color
transparencies, photographed and digitally edited, the original images are
transformed into abstract, haunted botanical scenes. Moments that were
composed and captured by an unknown photographer now seem to miraculously
exist by way of the object passing hands for nearly a century.
This legacy is further transformed through layering, tracing, and shifting of the
image. The original allure of these transitional moments is highlighted through
carefully applied surface embellishments – further expressions of the artist’s
hand. Seductive and unsettling, these shimmering forms both hide behind the
primary images, as well as assert their presence. Acknowledging death, as
exemplified by preserved fleeting moments, these works are at once a lament as
well as a celebration.
The original photograph acts to memorialize an ephemeral moment, and through
my alterations, I form a collaboration with the anonymous photographer, the
natural space, and the history of photography. From object to collaged
photocopies, to digital editing and reproduction, back to an embellished object –
the vernacular image becomes fine art. A transformation carried into surreal,
illuminated spaces.
website:
https://kellyhider.com/
