These images form part of an ongoing series exploring the ways in which humans leave marks on the spaces through which they pass. Mark-making is the basic act of all artists and whether consciously or unconsciously, all humans mark their environments in ways which may be artistic, proprietorial or merely careless. These interactions, between people and spaces, allow people's presence to resonate even in their absence.
Welcome to all visitors who found this page through the Leica website.
This photo-essay was put together during the Venice Carnival in February 2007. Its narrative is concerned with exploring the themes implied by the use of the mask. The historical purpose of masking was in order to conceal identity, thereby gaining license for sexual and political behaviour that might otherwise be unacceptable. In a more contemporary sense, the mask provides a series of metaphors for the ambiguous relationships between the famous and the less famous parts of Venice, between the inhabitants of the city and its visitors and finally, between the city and its own history.
This is an occasional series, added to as and when an image arises which in some way pairs up with one I already have. The matches are made from visual or thematic memory and can be based on colour, form, subject or just an idea.
We are genetically programmed to recognise people, places and objects for obvious reasons. These flashes of visual recognition serve a distinct evolutionary purpose.