Idea: Unadulterated

Unadulterated

1. not diluted or made impure by adulterating; pure

2. utter; absolute

3.  not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/unadulterated

Tom assigned my word for this week’s post during our meeting. We were talking of my work being visually minimal. With this, one small change in the information presented can change the overall meaning drastically. I have to know exactly what I want to say and how to say it. We also talked about the fact that in the past I detested shooting pictures of people and I only shot black and white film. He encouraged me to continue trying new things and not being afraid of breaking out of comfort. I chose an article about Hiroshi Sugimoto, an artist I feel exemplifies the word “unadulterated.” 

Turner, Christopher 2009. “Lightning Fields.” Modern Painters 21 no3 40-5 Ap 2009

Art Full Text. VCU Libraries. Virginia Commonwealth U., James Branch Cabell Lib.,Richmond, VA. 12 September 2010 <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/hww/results/results_single_fulltext.jhtml;hwwilsonid=VZKBYHPMQOOHXQA3DILCFF4ADUNGIIV0

This article describes a studio visit with Sugimoto. The cleanliness of his studio is pristine with assistants meticulously mounting prints. One of the walls in the studio is covered with pins, which keeps track of the distribution of his images. He says that, “Unlike a computer, this system never crashes.” Sugimoto then talks of his recent works. He explains that he likes to work only with natural light and his work focuses on time’s passing. Sugimoto recently purchased some of Henry Fox Talbot’s paper negatives and has been making prints in the same way that Talbot did in 1836. He explains "to be a good photographer you have to be a scientist as well." His most recent work called “Lightning Fields,” uses voltage to produce an image on film.

“Water and air. So very commonplace are these substances, they hardly attract attention-and yet they vouchsafe our very existence.”

-Sugimoto

http://www.sugimotohiroshi.com

“Abstract work loses narrative. Meaning remains but storyline is gone. There is no narrative left, no story line. In my earlier works I might have been more concerned with form but now, as you can see, even form has gone. Eighty to ninety percent of the work is pure color. So, 'pink' itself or 'orange' itself becomes my concern. I don't need to lend myself to any special form here. There's no need for any complex set up. So color alone rises to take over the canvas. Lines and forms fall away and leave me with a space of unadulterated color.”

-Artist Reza Nosratti

http://payvand.com/news/09/sep/1073.html