The Print Is the Work
All 31 prints of my Poetry of the First Light series were framed in classic black walnut box frames without glass and debuted at my show at the Crary Art Gallery in Warren, Pennsylvania.
At the premiere, after viewing all 31 prints together, attendees told me they saw the work as a single piece of art, not 31 separate photographs. The same skyline, 31 times, each morning defined by its own light, read as a single work.
For me, the most important part of any photograph is the print itself. I view the print as my finished work, so I print and edition every piece myself. Each print conveys exactly what I intend, not anyone else's interpretation of my work.
My conviction about the print comes from years of working in a darkroom and from studying the masters of black and white photography at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). I test and choose the paper for every photograph and never print anything the same way.
I chose Canson Infinity Rag Photographique, a 100 percent cotton, museum-grade paper with a very high Dmax for deep, rich blacks. This paper delivered the tonal range I wanted for this series. To protect each print, I use Hahnemuhle Protective Spray, an invisible film that guards against UV light and yellowing without changing the texture of the paper.
Most people only experience photographs through the glass of a screen, which leaves the print itself out of the experience of the work.
I framed this series without glass or mats, so the paper forms the border. Nothing stands between the viewer and the print, which makes the physical print a more integral part of the viewer's experience.
