Rock abstractions

Grand Canyon, Arizona - May 23, 2010

These rock abstractions are from what I would call a 'failed project' - one that didn't quite make it past my rough printing stage. When one goes to the Grand Canyon, one sees this great expanse of land; for me though, I saw formal elements - individual rock details that needed to be abstracted, composed, and captured on film. Unfortunately after shooting more than two hundred of these abstractions, they ended up looking very similar to one another. Needless to say, this project never left the darkroom. But, I still really like the project - the photos show texture and vivid natural forms.  I suppose this wasn't a failed project in the sense that I found joy in the whole experience of searching and drawing out these compositions of rocks - it was an exercise for my photographer's eye.