Dust to Life is a Fine Art genre project with the intent to communicate biblical truth in an artistic outlet. I am working with a narrative concept using constructed artistic involvement. My primary actual subject is expressive with secondary illustrative and statement-oriented actual subjects.
Photography is a powerful art capable of conveying the truths in Scripture more effectively than the written word alone. My intent is to communicate the resolution of these truths through my own visual interpretation of God’s Word. My literal subject matter consists of myself in various contemporary attire using different props that connect with the chosen Scripture passages. While the project is NOT about me, I am portraying my themes in a self-portrait project which made the connection to my message stronger and deeply linked with my personal concept.
The Bible passages were selected from my personal study Bible and verses that I find to be either challenging or encouraging to my walk in the faith. My goal is to show how the Bible is intertwined and vital to everything I do as a follower of Christ, persevering over sin, and living a life set apart to God who promises me a mansion in heaven. As a believer, how I apply Scripture to daily, practical decisions radically impacts my interactions with my family, friends, and foes forever.
My objective is to communicate my expressive actual subject by using Bible verse inspirations and visualizing these biblical truths in a contemporary fashion while I lead my audience through the entire Bible. My goal is to connect my personal life’s quest in a way that other Christians will be able to relate personally to their own spiritual walk. I am seeking to connect the contemporary quest of a Christian throughout his or her spiritual walk similar to the classic allegorical fiction novel Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. I hope to make my viewers contemplate the importance of applying Scripture every day to their spiritual journey as a good follower of Jesus Christ. There may be a sense of persuasiveness, but this will not be my primary intended outcome.
My goal is to communicate the Christian journey from the moment of creation to my soul’s glorification as described throughout the Bible. Those who have lived through similar trials and temptations will be able to relate to the failures and victories seen through the progression of the images. The one-word titles and the inspirational Bible verses are an important part of understanding my intended interpretation. While the scenes are not actual Biblical accounts, the truths are apparent through gesture, props, and dramatic elements like water, earth, fire, and wind.
My main intended audience will be Christians who can relate to forgiveness from sin and who are pressing forward for victory in Christ. To believers, the message will be challenging, encouraging, and spiritually uplifting. Unbelievers may be able to appreciate the aesthetics but may not understand the conceptual messages as clearly. Though I would be elated if the visual representation would open an unbeliever’s eyes to believe the truth of God’s Word. In contrast to some religious artwork, the intended purpose of the project is to convey a positive message to build up biblical beliefs and truths rather than demeaning or questioning the existence of God and the afterlife.
My reasoning for the Fine Art genre is so I can be free to express my strong personal beliefs and interpretations of biblical truths without using obvious takeaways that often accompany Commercial genre work. I have learned to use some wry humor and simplicity that does cross over into the Commercial genre style.
I am using both low and high keyed compositions with minimal separation in background and subject. Much of my project uses different angles and dramatic lighting that is keyed from the back or side. The light has a harder shadow edge transfer to help communicate the dramatic moods of the scenes. At times the lost and found contour lighting requires the viewer to piece the imagery together psychologically.
For most of the composite components in the montage process, the elements were photographed on a solid black or white background. This allowed me to effective mask and combine my subjects while using blending modes appropriately for the polished editing processing.
The framing is mostly active so the edges of the frame can create some tension and conclusion while emphasizing the photographer’s involvement with the work. I use lighting and compositional placement to show depth and avoid leveling the balance.