This work is a continuation of my exploration of the transitional and disregarded; the commonplace and unnoticed. The twelve images in this series are 2 by 3 inch direct flatbed scans of a cooking sheet and a baking pan from the Phoenix Café in Grinnell, Iowa.
I was not trying to replicate what the human eye can see. The scanning process combines thousands of images that are captured as a lens and light source move past the subject to create a complex perspective that is presented in a single image. Like my other work, these images are framed sections, abstract moments. They let us see the depth of texture created by an ordinary human process. The communal cooking tools remind us that we share everything in our world with those close to us and those far away; now and in the future. The images provide a fixed record of visual exploration as well as food for thought.
The exploration began during the preview scan and subsequent adjustments to the scanning process. A large calibrated monitor was used during the direct scans and throughout the entire editing process to provide an optimal viewing environment. The high data density captured during scanning provided a wide latitude for adjustments. The technical palette of image editing software allowed me to make a range of adjustments from a single pixel's definition to broad changes using complex algorithms. Thousands of changes were made to bring out detail and color in each image until it reflected my vision. This series was completed in December 2004.
