Self Manipulation

Artist Statement

The adage "the journey is more important than the destination" can apply to art as well; sometimes the process is more important than the product. In my medium of choice, photography, the process behind creating the image can often be just as important as the final photo because it tells the photographer's own story.

The controversy of art vs. documentary photography alludes to the idea that photography is an artistic medium in a world of its own, not quite "traditional" art in the way that a fully-malleable medium such as painting is, but not quite objective document either. A photograph can often be mistaken for a factual record of an event, person, or place; however, the fact that a human being with his or her own personal preferences and aesthetics pressed the shutter means that every photo will have a degree of bias and subjectivity, making it a manipulation of reality.

This show is an exploration of the way in which images can be manipulated. In examining the processes behind creating a final image - from framing the shot to developing or editing the image to printing it to putting it out into the public eye - I found that in every aspect of the process, a piece of the photographer's own vision and personality seeps into the photo.

The question is, if we do accept the idea the photos are simply captured moments in the photographer's personal view of reality, will that change how we view photography as a medium for conveying truth?