It’s been a while since I’ve explored the Strata series. The reason why I started this experimental series almost a year ago was in an effort to take my portraits into a more painterly realm. Digital can be so hyperreal and “accurate” and I often find it quite boring. I want tactility. Grit. I experimented with shooting through different substances, such as honey or coconut oil. I shot through different types of plastics, using everytinhg from saran wrap and bubble wrap to light panels from the hardware store. I explored different ways of capturing reflections by using broken mirrors and mylar. My goal was discovery. I want an element of chaos and surprise in how I create photographs, and so I set up a series of controlled photo experiments to see what came out of it.

In my latest exploration I worked with rubber cement. It has the same quality as honey but is much easier to work with as it’s quick drying and doesn’t attract flies. I love the air bubbles and especially how it refracts light. My plan is to have several different panels of plexiglass, each with a unique glue pattern. I want to explore different glue application methods. I want to see how it looks if I layer the glue really high in some parts and shallow in others. I want to see what happens if I add in food dye to the glue. I can see plexiglass panels becoming works of art in and of themselves.