Archaeology

May 13, 2019 / Photography / infinity

diptych of man with book covering his face and night sky full of stars
Myth. Toned Cyanotype Print, 2010. Two print sizes. © Jonah Calinawan


I just posted an art project entitled Archaeology.

I’m intrigued by the idea that everyone has one story to tell, and that he tells this story over and over again in many different variations in future work.

Photographer Gregory Crewdson said this in an interview once, and it sparked my imagination.

What Could That One Story Be?

I’m curious what my one story will be. This is the reason why I’ve assembled Archaeology as an archive of my earliest work, right about the time that I started my Master of Fine Arts (MFA).

The MFA is a significant signpost in my life. It’s when I started looking at photography as a medium of communication. I was no longer just taking pictures, I was trying to say something with those pictures.

In the short time that I’ve been creating art, I can already see recurring themes.

For example, the featured image above is entitled Myth. I’m inspired by mythological stories and how they have endured time. Thousands of years from now, these mythological stories will still be read and told. I know part of my attraction is the concept of infinity, which I’ve written about previously.

But what else is driving this image?

If Gregory Crewdson is right, then my future work will emanate from this very image.

At that future time, I will be able to connect the dots.

Time will tell.

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