Masquerading in the Secret Garden
Masquerading in the Secret Garden is a series of digital photomontages that explore ways in which new and thought-provoking mask images can be created through the manipulation of the hidden symmetry in nature. Digital photos were taken of sections of various varieties of trees and plants in and around a garden, some in winter and some in the summer and fall. These photos were then loaded into a computer where they were cut and pasted into mirrored images of themselves. This was done by doubling the original photos into various symmetrical forms.
These manipulated images were then examined for evidence of facial characteristics. The facial characteristics were enhanced by adding cutout images of eyes, and/or by adding color to certain portions of the photos in order to refer to the existence of mouths.
The final mask images were created by isolating portions of the photomontages that best resembled human faces. Those isolated portions of the photos were then cut out and placed over the heads of various people. It is my hope as the artist that these images might help to suggest alternative ways of thinking about the world around us, and how to interact with it in a more positive and creative way.
Status: Built
Location: Santa Fe, NM, US
