Thriftscapes.

"Thriftscapes" | Knoxville, TN | 2004 (click image for larger view)

A few years ago, when taking a photography course in college, I had the idea to take b&w shots of landscape paintings that I found in thrift stores. I got 5 done for class, and presented them ... and then my life took over, and I neglected to follow through with the project. Plus, my old trusty Nikkormat started being all fussy, and I never got it fixed. Well, I dug these out, and I find myself still fascinated by the project.

I think it's the ambiguity that comes from looking at these images. Are they actual photos? Are they fake? What are they? Where are they? When were they taken? They are kind of blurry and dreamlike, and I like that. Photos of paintings of photos. It's like a Xerox. The more the image is copied, the more it degrades, and in my opinion the more personality they take on.

Hm, it may be time to get that old Nikkormat fixed.