Deb Stoner
2019 has been a tumultuous year by anyone's accounting, with fires, floods, and the insane leaders of the world that give me a distinct feeling of the planet being out of control. Perhaps it is my artwork that grounds me, that gives me at least an illusion of being in control, if only on the 8.5" x 11.7" scanner glass on which I compose my still life photographs. Usually, my work is precise, accurate, and hyper-real. To capture the dark, weird and fake mood of the era, for this series I fiddled with the original images. Reality is so much easier: it was difficult for me to push my work in this direction. I did, in fact, learn to love it. Sign of the times, I guess.
The patient, engaged, and observant viewer will notice something only when she pulls the unmounted prints from the handmade portfolio box where they live. I encourage this un-gallery like behavior. My presentation concept is based on the accessibility of handling photographs that the NW Drawers encourages. By encountering them loose in a portfolio, the viewer gets to handle the prints as objects, and with no gloves worn, oils from their hands will indelibly stain the prints. Scuffs on the matte surfaces as they are handled, viewed, and re-stacked will create a patina, quietly recording their viewing history throughout their year in and out of the drawer. I look forward to learning that someone took the time to spend some time with my prints, perhaps spreading them out on the floor so they can figure out the whole, gaining their own sense of control.