James MacMahon's Gallery

Thanks - the sizes are on my gallery page and the medium is acrylic ("abstract acrylics by s.j. mittl, jr.").

James,

Everything in life has limitations (as well as opportunities). If one were to reject all because of limitations, there would be nothing to do! In art, generally, and photography, specifically,all traditional forms offer monumental limitations; from carbon, to gum, cyanotype, platinum to silver printing. Especially now with (commercially available) silver based negative and print material.  In my mind, for those using the latter materials, there are evem more limitations to making quality images. I don't think that any technique should be avoided only because of its' "limitations". I chose not to use digital capture for many reasons (probably the main reason - though hardly logical - is that I'm simply comfortable looking at the world through a groundglass, and having a negative that I can hold in my hand). However, to achieve, the end results I desire, I do use PhotoShop - and deal with its limitations and possibilities.

Anybody can buy a camera, digital or film, of any type, and use any number of ways to produce and present an image - and always, if you allow it, these things and techniques can place limitations upon limitations (as well as abounding possibilities). Any technique can make a clone of anyone if you allow it. And, when all is said and done, it's not the devices or techniques that make an image compelling (in my mind these things should all take a backseat to the image): it's the message.

joe

would you consider your art to be along the lines of escapism?