Ew
Ew is a series of 35mm color photographs exploring the concept of grossness using abstraction in order to break subjects down into their individual aesthetic qualities, such as texture, shape, and color. I firmly believe that any subject can be made into a thing of beauty with the right perspective, no matter what that subject may be. I tend to gravitate towards unconventional subjects in my artwork, so for Ew, I exaggerate this tendency and shoot objects that most logical humans would take measures to avoid.
Abstraction helps make the primary focus of the work aesthetic, as opposed to substantive, so an audience can take in the images without prejudice. Since it is not immediately clear what these images depict, the subject is understood after any revulsion a viewer may normally have towards the actual content has already been challenged by the opposing aesthetic qualities of the image. They are now able to hold on to both of those conflicting ideas, beauty and ‘grossness’, at one time. Ew is a paradox. The ambiguity and contradiction contained within this series is a reflection of the world as a whole—seemingly contrary forces may not always be what they appear.