Amanda Keller Konya
Specimens From America's Most Polluted River
Common modes of conveying information, such as science and journalism, fail to represent the complex reality of the New River, which flows north from Mexico into California — its use by illegal immigrants as a crossing point, its toxic state, the way it marks the boundary between public and private space. I was especially moved to undertake this project when I learned that the river, containing DDT, PCBs, and other dangerous chemicals, runs through California’s Imperial Valley, adjacent to crops grown and eaten every day by Americans nationwide. Illegal immigrants have direct contact with this chemical stew, and Border Patrol agents, as a matter of policy, won’t enter the water.
I produced the image component of this project at different access points to the river, collecting water samples along the way. Each image is enclosed in a specimen bottle and suspended in river water taken from the corresponding site. I labeled the bottles with traditional specimen tags, which record thoughts and experiences from police officers, Border Patrol agents, immigrants, hunters, activists, and community leaders. To play with ideas of image construction, I built a reversal of the photographic experience into the work: the viewer looks through the river water to see the photograph, whereas one typically would look at the photograph to see the river.
Tobia Makover
Tobia Makover
Thinking About Photography
Dedicated to expanding our ideas about photography
Ryn Clarke
Ryn Clarke, Hummingbirds
Fantastical Landscapes
These images are part of a daily diary called “Fantastical Landscapes" and look at my time in quarantine during the Covid-19 lockdown. One day I woke up and my entire world had shut down. Forced isolation created opportunities! I started walking everyday with my dogs and my camera and began documenting the arrival of Spring. My neighborhood and nearby woods became my daily inspiration and creative outlet.
Ryn Clarke, Miami Blue Butterflies
Ryn Clarke, Star Magnolias and Beetle
A couple of years ago I took a workshop on composite photography, but I never pursued it. With everything coming to a screeching halt and spending so much time at home, I decided to play with the composite technique again. The idea of taking the images from my walks and bringing in other images I had taken previously, into a digital collage, began to bubble up in my head. Incorporating my love of gardening and nature, imaginary ecosystems were soon born, brimming with color, cheer and tranquility.
Ryn Clarke, December Cosmos
Ryn Clarke, Dragonfly
In manipulating different images, I try to control the depth and hidden attributes assigned in opacity and textural layers. With a background as a graphic designer, I am very purposeful in my choice of color palette for each image. I usually pre-visualize what meaning I want to convey for a more impactful image. Incorporating various photographic elements will eventually result in a space filled with mystery and make-believe.
Ryn Clarke, Bill's Garden
Even though the Covid-19 lockdown is, hopefully, a thing of the past, this project continues to be an ongoing adventure! Stay tuned!