Over the past several years, Steve Levinson says that he has been making photographs—“collecting” various elements and textures for use in creating composites. He explains that this offers a new challenge as he “subconsciously identifies in the field those elements that might prove interesting to combine with others to create a new whole at a future time from the actual image making.”
When deciding which of his images to display, Steve selected a group of images that have a similar visual sense—color, tone, subject, lightness and darkness. Some of his images, which he describes as “free-flowing imaginative,” are a combination of over 12 different layers that he has edited, combined, and processed to produce an organic whole, employing tools such as Photoshop and Lightroom. Steve says that his inspiration comes from this creative process…often employing an unplanned process of combinations that yields an unexpected result. He says, “Once I start down the road to create a composite there is no plan; things and ideas just come together to produce the final product.
This process requires Steve to find many different elements and combine them in a creative, organic way. He says that by selecting work from past shoots, as well as working to make the elements integrate into a whole, rather than just “sticking” a few things together that don’t interact, “is a challenge that I have been focusing on with the help of a mentor for several years now, and it has really had a positive impact on my work.” He says that it also makes going out on a shoot more fun, as “I not only compose entire photographs in the camera for my traditional work but also am looking out for cool elements that I might want to use in a composite in the future.”
Several years ago Steve says he went through a “rather intensive self-analysis during a workshop in Maine with Cig Harvey, which was a real challenge to me.” The objective was to make a correlation between your photographs and who you are. After his self-analysis, Steve says that his introspective composites, as well as his more traditional photographs, reflect who he is. “I like to explore new paths and directions, which is a major component that drives my creative process.”
Steve’s exhibit is made up of three parts: large canvas prints that best display the composite in a format that can further draw the viewer into the new alternate reality; a collaboration with well-known local poet Karen Faris; and a series of smaller, more intimate composites.
For several years Steve and Karen have been working together on their collaborative project combining poetry and composites. In some cases the composite is the inspiration, and in other cases, the poem is the inspiration. Steve says, “We worked together to refine the composite to really combine these somewhat disparate media into a finished product.” Steve points out that in addition to reading a poem, poetry is an auditory experience; thus, Karen has recorded a dramatic reading of each poem and provided a QR code that will allow visitors to hear Karen’s performance on their cell phones.
When Steve views some of his images he has an emotional reaction that makes him feel as though he is soaring—experiencing freedom, which is abstract, but grounded; for example by a bird flying above. He ponders “Is this the end of the world?” He says “It might be or just puzzling you as you react.”
Steve hopes that rather than just “labeling” each photo as to what the subject is and then moving on, viewers will take the time to enjoy each image, and look at them for more than a few seconds, allowing their emotions to experience the alternate realities presented. Visitors can experience Alternate Realities from May 14 – June 9. If you have questions or would like to leave a comment about Steve’s show, please write it in the comment box below.