Diana Diptychs
Much like The Abyss series, these images are in the form of a diptych. Diptychs have a rich history as a form used by both church and state, symbols of worship and power. While I like that obscure connection, it’s the simple juxtaposition of two images that intrigues me. Having binocular vision we automatically take two images and merge them into one. But what happens when these two images are different? It’s my belief that we still try to (symbolically) fuse them into one (meaning). It’s the struggle to relate the two images that gives the work its power.
Also, as in The Abyss, I use a plastic toy camera, known almost generically now as a Diana. This camera with its soft focus and diffuse color, helps to de-emphasize the literal depiction of a scene or subject. Coupled with the diptych format, these photographs become less about a literal depiction of an objective scene or reality, and more about a subjective depiction of a question, thought or emotion.
