Glint, Glimmer, Glisten

This week's reading got me thinking about what it means for something to be "abstract". It made me realize the importance of understanding that photography is impossible without some level of abstraction. Time will always stand motionless, and the entire three dimensional world is compressed to a 2D plane. There is no looking around, there is no hearing, smelling, or tasting of the world represented. Sight is all there is, and look is all we may do. 

I am interested in exploring the realm between the totally abstract, and the concrete in photography. According to Rexer, "...photography, as usually understood, is wedded to the world through the mechanism of recorded light, and wedded to viewers through more or less recognizable images, which they have learned to perceive." Since photography always involves capturing light from the living world, it's almost strange that something made this way could be termed "abstract". Mustn't what is captured within the camera likewise be represented somewhere in the real world? Not necessarily. For me, abstraction comes in the omitting of elements, the unnatural emphasis placed on others, and the calling of attention to oft-overlooked details of the world. This can present a vision of the world that is surreal, and in many ways abstract. 

For this project I basically roamed my house with a flashlight and a compact camera. I am always surprised at what interesting new angles I'm able to find in this small house I've lived in for years. I like challenging myself to find new perspectives in familiar places (not to mention it's basically the most practical location in the current times). 

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/183257849@N08/albums/72157714322279928