Emulation Project

Arnulf Rainer believed that it was crucial for the photographer to have a visible hand in their work , and is thus famous for his blackening, overpainting, and masking of photographs, primarily portraits. My goal when undertaking this emulation was to end up with a final product that could evoke the same level of emotion, while remaining slightly less disturbing than some of Rainer's works. During the long hours spend on these prints I progressed through the desire to work in several different mediums, and was tempted at countless points to stray from the task at hand. In the end, however, I stayed true to the black smudging and scribbling that is so typical of Rainer's works. Each print in this piece carries its own emotional holding power and is distinctly different from the others on the level of the photographs themselves, but the three are tied together by their manipulations. It is interesting that what some would call destruction actually adds another whole dimension to the work, and can tie it together and give meaning in places where otherwise the prints would not hold nearly the same power.