ASU Art Museum's "Superfake/The Parley" examines authenticity, emotional value of an artwork

Photo by Celina Jimenez | The State Press

Tables display various stages of the scientific and historical testing processes used to determine a painting's authenticity at the Superfake/The Parley exhibition at the ASU Art Museum on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016.

By Celina Jimenez | 2 hours ago

Imagine that the vast majority of wall space in the ASU Art Museum's latest exhibition is occupied by blank outlines of paintings past. Only two tangible works hang on the walls, and they both represent something fake. 

Which is worse, the emptiness or the falsity? 

Superfake/The Parley is an exhibition conceived and implemented by Danish artist collective group, Superflex, and attempts to answer this question by presenting a Frederic Remington painting long beloved by fans of the Old West by proving that the version hanging in the ASU Art Museum is a knockoff. 

Museum curator Julio Cesar Morales said the empty spaces were an intentional addition to the overall vibe of the gallery.

"It's like when you go into an old house and there's been a photo there forever and you see the fade mark," Morales said. "We wanted that kind of ghost-like imagery in the gallery as well."

The biggest source of tension in the room is of course not the blank spots, but the "original" painting was found to be a replica after being displayed for over four decades. Experts began corresponding with each other over the authenticity of the painting in 1991, and Superflex stepped in to conduct various experiments and add new dimensions to the work.

Morales said the declaration of something as authentic or fake comes about through three steps, all of which are on display. First, the history of the artwork and the paperwork documenting its acquisition is examined. Then experts take a look at the work and keep an eye out for anything that might be awry. Later, the work of art undergoes detailed scientific testing. In this case, the Remington piece was examined through x-ray photography, infrared photography and paint tests. 

The infrared photography showed the presence of line drawings in the version that hangs in the museum. This was a major indication of its falsity, as Remington never sketched his work before he painted.

Superflex has been in residence at the museum's International Artist Residency Program at Combine Studios in downtown Phoenix since 2013, where they have been working on developing the "tools" for this exhibition.

According to its website, the three-person collective refers to its projects as "tools" in an effort to emphasize the viewer's ability to engage with, utilize and modify them. 

In order to do this, Superflex created both scientific and artistic representations to accompany this piece, including a slow-motion video that recreates the fictional events taking place between the native and the pioneer in the Remington painting. 

Morales said the men of the group were first exposed to the Old West through a comic series called "Lucky Luke." One issue happened to mention Frederic Remington, further igniting their interest in his work and leading them to select this painting.

He noted that Remington was known to paint things that didn't actually happen in real life — ironic, considering the nature of the exhibit.

"Part of the fakeness of this exhibition extends to the actual fabrication in some of his work as imagery," Morales said. "It's a whole mythology about the West he helped create."

According to Morales, Superflex's collective mission is very much based around the community at large, and said they strive to create "socially engaged artwork" that he feels fits well with the mission of the ASU Art Museum. 

In this case, the societal engagement means forcing viewers to contemplate the value of a work of art in the wake of its newly revealed falsity. 

"What's the emotional value of an artwork if you've seen this all your life and all of a sudden it's fake?" Morales asked. "How does that make you feel? Is that gonna de-value it?"

Viewers can decide for themselves until April 30 at the ASU Art Museum.

Related Links:

ASU Art Museum breaks borders

Six Andy Warhol works donated to ASU Art Museum

Reach the reporter at celina.jimenez@asu.edu or follow @lina_lauren on Twitter.

Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.

Source: ASU Art Museum's "Superfake/The Parley" examines authenticity, emotional value of an artwork

SoCal Gas faces edict to capture, dispose of Porter Ranch gas

Southern California Gas Co. would begin installing equipment to capture and incinerate natural gas leaking from its well in the Porter Ranch area under the terms of an abatement order that will be reviewed by air-quality regulators Saturday.

Porter Ranch methane leak via infrared. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

The South Coast Air Quality Management District Hearing Board will meet Saturday at Granada Hills Charter High School to consider the order, which would require the Gas Co. to minimize natural gas leaking from the well, and capture and dispose of leaking gas.

AQMD spokesman Sam Atwood said specifics of the disposal process will be finalized as part of the hearing, but it will likely involve capturing leaking gas, piping it away from the site for safety and then incinerating it. Exactly when that process would begin is still in question, depending on when the Gas Co. submits permit applications for the equipment.

"Several things have to happen, but the bottom line is we're asking the hearing board to order the Gas Co. to — in some fashion — collect and dispose of the maximum amount of gas feasible," Atwood told City News Service.

The incineration process likely would not capture all of the gas leaking from the well.

The proposed abatement order would also require SoCalGas to continuously monitor the well with an infrared camera to improve monitoring of the leak, stop all injection of gas into the well, withdraw the maximum amount of gas possible from the well and provide data collected by the Gas Co. or its contractors since late October to determine the amount of methane that has escaped from the well.

The leak was discovered Oct. 23.

SoCalGas would also be required to submit to the AQMD a plan for an enhanced leak-detection and well-inspection program. The order also calls on the Gas Co. to commit to funding a health study on the impacts of exposure to the leaking gas.

"The health study shall also analyze any health impacts from any odor suppressants or neutralizers, and their byproducts, if any, used to mitigate other odors in the nearby community," according to the proposed order. "The health study shall be completed by a third party approved by the SCAQMD and SoCalGas, who shall not unreasonably withhold approval of the contractor."

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, said he met Friday with officials from SoCalGas, pushing them to actively extract gas from the well "as fast as possible every hour of every day." After the meeting, however, he said, "Unfortunately, SoCalGas confirmed that they will not be withdrawing gas as fast as possible."

He said the Gas Co. has only been withdrawing gas from the facility "as fast as they could sell the gas."

"Withdrawing the gas will reduce pressure, thus slowing the leak," Sherman said. "It will facilitate stopping the leak as efforts to date have been thwarted by the intense pressure of gas coming up from underground storage. And maximizing withdrawal may drain the facility — or at least reduce pressure to the point where gas stops leaking — before March."

Atwood noted that the proposed abatement order does require the extraction of gas from the well, and a ban on injecting any more into the well. He noted that the hearing scheduled for Saturday could take all day, or several days.

SoCalGas is in the process of digging relief wells that are expected to allow the company to cap the leak. That process, however, is not expected to be completed until February or March.

Thousands of residents have been relocated from the Porter Ranch area after complaining of health problems from the leak, and thousands more have requested relocation.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in the Porter Ranch area due to the continuing leak. The order came two days after Brown met with a handful of residents in the Porter Ranch area and toured the storage facility and a relief well.

Brown's emergency proclamation orders that all viable actions be taken to stop the leak, withdraw natural gas from the facility and develop contingency plans in case a relief well being dug at the site fails to cap the leaking gas.

According to the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council, Brown's office has agreed to take part in a community meeting that will be held Jan. 15 at Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch. Members of the governor's staff and officials from state agencies involved in monitoring and investigating the leak are expected to attend.

Members of the Neighborhood Council have asked that Brown attend personally, but that has not yet been determined.

According to a recent securities filing, the Gas Co. has spent more than $50 million combating the leak. Citing the filing, the Los Angeles Times reported that more than 25 lawsuits have been filed against the utility, and "the cost of defending the lawsuits, and any damages, if awarded, could be significant."

According to The Times, the utility has told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it had "at least four types of insurance policies that it believes will cover many of the current and expected claims, losses and litigation … associated with the natural gas leak at Aliso Canyon," which has forced thousands of people from their homes.

Those policies, the utility said, have a combined limit available "in excess of $1 billion."

The Gas Co. is a subsidiary of San Diego's Sempra Energy, which has seen its stock price fall more than 15 percent since the leak was discovered at the facility in the northern part of the San Fernando Valley.

— City News Service

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Source: SoCal Gas faces edict to capture, dispose of Porter Ranch gas

Got a 400-foot ladder? How about a UAV?

UAVs in the hands of a trained agronomist or skilled farmer are more than toys. They're becoming an important tool in getting a bird's-eye view when a 400-foot ladder isn't an option.

Dennis Bowman, an Extension agronomist with the University of Illinois, tested various unmanned aerial vehicles over the past four years. Reduce your learning curve by taking advantage of his observations.

The first step is knowing why you want a UAV, he says. That helps nail down the type of UAV and price range. The UAV field is still a bit of a Wild West frontier, with companies popping up and some fading out. You can find everything from $300 models to $50,000 systems. Many are multi-rotors. Others are fixed-wing, airplane designs.

RED ALERT: It's easy to see where Palmer amaranth was heaviest in this infrared image. Note the reddish patches near the top.

"There are trade-offs to both," Bowman says. "The choice will likely come down to what you're trying to accomplish."

Multi-rotor UAVs tend to be more stable in flight and are typically easier to learn to fly, he notes. "You can also take off in a small space without problems," he adds. "But they tend to be limited on flight time. You may charge batteries for 90 minutes to get 15 minutes in the air."

Fixed-wing UAVs can carry bigger payloads, Bowman says. Adding heavier payloads to a multi-rotor machine cuts flight time even more. "But fixed-wing crafts need more space to launch," he says. "If you're working around trees and power lines, that's an issue. I've even seen one that requires a rail-type catapult to launch it."

MYSTERY SOLVED: A town ran street lights into the country, and soybeans didn't mature properly. The UAV image convinced city officials to act. Shutting off lights on weekends helped.

More uses

The longer Bowman experiments with UAVs, the more uses he finds. Here are some examples he offers:

Traditional crop scouting. With either a rotor or fixed wing, get images that can help pinpoint where you might have problems, and where you should walk and look. With some machines, you can watch the flight live. There are options that allow you to stitch together an image the same day, either on your own software or by sending it to a third party. Turnaround time and convenience become considerations, he says.

CLOSE VIEW: Here's a view from one of Dennis Bowman's UAV cameras that shows individual plants in plots.

Infrared images. Infrared photography can produce normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images that allow you to see concentrations of weeds quickly, he says. You'll see more intense color where weed patches are thick.

High-resolution images. If you want to get down close and personal with plants, you can, Bowman says. It's a matter of how you fly and the camera equipment that you select.

Investigate unusual situations. Sometimes answers are hard to find at eye level. If you can get a view from above, patterns become more obvious, Bowman says. He's been asked to solve unusual crop mysteries by getting a higher view.

Records and planning. Where drainage ditches form networks and are essential to farming, get a more complete picture of how ditches tie together from the air. File this image for future reference.

What FAA rules may look like

Agronomist Dennis Bowman is getting a better handle on what the final rule for using UAVs in agriculture may look like. There's no definite word on when the Federal Aviation Administration may release it.

Here are key points:

* UAVs will be classified by size. There will be categories for those under 55 pounds, those under 4 pounds and those under a half pound.

* The maximum flying height could be 500 feet. Most have been staying at 400 feet or less.

* Commercial operators can only fly one UAV at a time. An agronomist can't send up two or three at once.

* Registration will be required. Numbers will be issued by the FAA for your UAV.

* A license will be required. Timeline on this one may be pushed back, Bowman says.

Ask these10 questions before buying

* Here are 10 questions Dennis Bowman would ask before buying a UAV.

* How much range does it have?

* What is the expected flight time, and what impacts it?

* Is GPS built in?

* Will it work off both GLONASS and U.S. GPS?

* How easy is it to learn to use?

* What kind of support system is available? Is it easy to access?

* Is it compatible with other products?

* Is it upgradable?

* Can you get "real-time" results?

* Does it have proven capabilities? Can you talk to other users?

Decision Time: Production is independently produced by Penton Agriculture and brought to you through the support of Case IH. For more information, visit farmprogress.com/decisiontime.

Source: Got a 400-foot ladder? How about a UAV?

Verona photographer honored to be included in State Museum of Pennsylvania exhibit

When Tony Brandstetter was 7 years old back in 1967, his mom would give him $1.25 for the local drugstore in the Morningside neighborhood he called home.

But instead of candy he had another purchase in mind — photos.

"My family had a Kodak Brownie camera," says Brandstetter, a Verona resident. "I would take close-up photos of my toy cars and race to get them developed in black and white at the drug store. I could hardly wait the week it took to get the photos back to see how I had done."

Even a birth defect that left him legally blind in one eye never deterred his drive to capture images.

After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Brandstetter, 55, set his sights on Manhattan but had a reality check.

"I quickly found out that it was hard to support yourself on a photographer's salary in NYC, so I was forced to find more conventional employment, and banking was a logical choice," says Brandstetter, now employed by PNC Bank.

His lifelong passion for photography has endured, and Brandstetter's photography recently was accepted into the State Museum of Pennsylvania as part of "Pennsylvania Modern: A Juried Photography Exhibition of Midcentury Modern Architecture," which is showing through February 2016. He was the only photographer selected from Allegheny County.

His photograph of 4 Gateway Center in Downtown Pittsburgh was selected. He says photography is an "expensive hobby with extreme gratification."

"My work is being displayed alongside professional photographers, and I am honored," Brandstetter says. "When I visited Harrisburg and looked all around at the artwork, I got the chills."

The mid-century modern architectural years in the United States spanned from 1933 to 1965.

This photography exhibit honors iconic modern architecture "hidden in plain sight" throughout the commonwealth.

"Pittsburgh has a lot of examples of this style due to the city experiencing a tremendous renaissance," Brandstetter says. "It was a Sunday morning and I was tooling around Pittsburgh and I noticed the PPG building reflected in the glass of 4 Gateway, and the rest is history."

4 Gateway was constructed in 1960. Brandstetter has also exhibited at Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and has been published in Shutterbug Magazine. Always his own worst critic, Brandstetter says these days he "feels much better about his work and tends not to be as critical evaluating his work."

Brandstetter loves Pittsburgh's "endless subject matter," he says.

"I think we live in a beautiful city and I photograph her every chance I get," Brandstetter says.

He prides himself on diversity in his subject matter.

"I am involved in landscape, portrait, animal, architecture and urban photography," he says. "But my specialty is in Civil War re-enactment and infrared photography."

But in 2015, the view through the lens was fading for Brandstetter.

"I was diagnosed with cataracts this year, and one month before my surgery my eyesight was almost completely gone — I couldn't recognize people's faces," Brandstetter says. "The surgery went well and I am amazed at the vision I have today."

Joyce Hanz is a contributing writer for the Tribune-Review.

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While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.

We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments — either by the same reader or different readers.

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We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation.

We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly.

We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sent via e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article.

Source: Verona photographer honored to be included in State Museum of Pennsylvania exhibit

Got a 400-foot ladder? How about a UAV?

UAVs in the hands of a trained agronomist or skilled farmer are more than toys. They're becoming an important tool in getting a bird's-eye view when a 400-foot ladder isn't an option.

Dennis Bowman, an Extension agronomist with the University of Illinois, tested various unmanned aerial vehicles over the past four years. Reduce your learning curve by taking advantage of his observations.

The first step is knowing why you want a UAV, he says. That helps nail down the type of UAV and price range. The UAV field is still a bit of a Wild West frontier, with companies popping up and some fading out. You can find everything from $300 models to $50,000 systems. Many are multi-rotors. Others are fixed-wing, airplane designs.

RED ALERT: It's easy to see where Palmer amaranth was heaviest in this infrared image. Note the reddish patches near the top.

"There are trade-offs to both," Bowman says. "The choice will likely come down to what you're trying to accomplish."

Multi-rotor UAVs tend to be more stable in flight and are typically easier to learn to fly, he notes. "You can also take off in a small space without problems," he adds. "But they tend to be limited on flight time. You may charge batteries for 90 minutes to get 15 minutes in the air."

Fixed-wing UAVs can carry bigger payloads, Bowman says. Adding heavier payloads to a multi-rotor machine cuts flight time even more. "But fixed-wing crafts need more space to launch," he says. "If you're working around trees and power lines, that's an issue. I've even seen one that requires a rail-type catapult to launch it."

MYSTERY SOLVED: A town ran street lights into the country, and soybeans didn't mature properly. The UAV image convinced city officials to act. Shutting off lights on weekends helped.

More uses

The longer Bowman experiments with UAVs, the more uses he finds. Here are some examples he offers:

Traditional crop scouting. With either a rotor or fixed wing, get images that can help pinpoint where you might have problems, and where you should walk and look. With some machines, you can watch the flight live. There are options that allow you to stitch together an image the same day, either on your own software or by sending it to a third party. Turnaround time and convenience become considerations, he says.

CLOSE VIEW: Here's a view from one of Dennis Bowman's UAV cameras that shows individual plants in plots.

Infrared images. Infrared photography can produce normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) images that allow you to see concentrations of weeds quickly, he says. You'll see more intense color where weed patches are thick.

High-resolution images. If you want to get down close and personal with plants, you can, Bowman says. It's a matter of how you fly and the camera equipment that you select.

Investigate unusual situations. Sometimes answers are hard to find at eye level. If you can get a view from above, patterns become more obvious, Bowman says. He's been asked to solve unusual crop mysteries by getting a higher view.

Records and planning. Where drainage ditches form networks and are essential to farming, get a more complete picture of how ditches tie together from the air. File this image for future reference.

What FAA rules may look like

Agronomist Dennis Bowman is getting a better handle on what the final rule for using UAVs in agriculture may look like. There's no definite word on when the Federal Aviation Administration may release it.

Here are key points:

* UAVs will be classified by size. There will be categories for those under 55 pounds, those under 4 pounds and those under a half pound.

* The maximum flying height could be 500 feet. Most have been staying at 400 feet or less.

* Commercial operators can only fly one UAV at a time. An agronomist can't send up two or three at once.

* Registration will be required. Numbers will be issued by the FAA for your UAV.

* A license will be required. Timeline on this one may be pushed back, Bowman says.

Ask these10 questions before buying

* Here are 10 questions Dennis Bowman would ask before buying a UAV.

* How much range does it have?

* What is the expected flight time, and what impacts it?

* Is GPS built in?

* Will it work off both GLONASS and U.S. GPS?

* How easy is it to learn to use?

* What kind of support system is available? Is it easy to access?

* Is it compatible with other products?

* Is it upgradable?

* Can you get "real-time" results?

* Does it have proven capabilities? Can you talk to other users?

Decision Time: Production is independently produced by Penton Agriculture and brought to you through the support of Case IH. For more information, visit farmprogress.com/decisiontime.

Source: Got a 400-foot ladder? How about a UAV?

Verona photographer honored to be included in State Museum of Pennsylvania exhibit

When Tony Brandstetter was 7 years old back in 1967, his mom would give him $1.25 for the local drugstore in the Morningside neighborhood he called home.

But instead of candy he had another purchase in mind — photos.

"My family had a Kodak Brownie camera," says Brandstetter, a Verona resident. "I would take close-up photos of my toy cars and race to get them developed in black and white at the drug store. I could hardly wait the week it took to get the photos back to see how I had done."

Even a birth defect that left him legally blind in one eye never deterred his drive to capture images.

After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Brandstetter, 55, set his sights on Manhattan but had a reality check.

"I quickly found out that it was hard to support yourself on a photographer's salary in NYC, so I was forced to find more conventional employment, and banking was a logical choice," says Brandstetter, now employed by PNC Bank.

His lifelong passion for photography has endured, and Brandstetter's photography recently was accepted into the State Museum of Pennsylvania as part of "Pennsylvania Modern: A Juried Photography Exhibition of Midcentury Modern Architecture," which is showing through February 2016. He was the only photographer selected from Allegheny County.

His photograph of 4 Gateway Center in Downtown Pittsburgh was selected. He says photography is an "expensive hobby with extreme gratification."

"My work is being displayed alongside professional photographers, and I am honored," Brandstetter says. "When I visited Harrisburg and looked all around at the artwork, I got the chills."

The mid-century modern architectural years in the United States spanned from 1933 to 1965.

This photography exhibit honors iconic modern architecture "hidden in plain sight" throughout the commonwealth.

"Pittsburgh has a lot of examples of this style due to the city experiencing a tremendous renaissance," Brandstetter says. "It was a Sunday morning and I was tooling around Pittsburgh and I noticed the PPG building reflected in the glass of 4 Gateway, and the rest is history."

4 Gateway was constructed in 1960. Brandstetter has also exhibited at Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and has been published in Shutterbug Magazine. Always his own worst critic, Brandstetter says these days he "feels much better about his work and tends not to be as critical evaluating his work."

Brandstetter loves Pittsburgh's "endless subject matter," he says.

"I think we live in a beautiful city and I photograph her every chance I get," Brandstetter says.

He prides himself on diversity in his subject matter.

"I am involved in landscape, portrait, animal, architecture and urban photography," he says. "But my specialty is in Civil War re-enactment and infrared photography."

But in 2015, the view through the lens was fading for Brandstetter.

"I was diagnosed with cataracts this year, and one month before my surgery my eyesight was almost completely gone — I couldn't recognize people's faces," Brandstetter says. "The surgery went well and I am amazed at the vision I have today."

Joyce Hanz is a contributing writer for the Tribune-Review.

TribLive commenting policy

You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to our Terms of Service.

We moderate comments. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.

We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments — either by the same reader or different readers.

We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. Don't include URLs to Web sites.

We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation.

We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly.

We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sent via e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article.

Source: Verona photographer honored to be included in State Museum of Pennsylvania exhibit

Sculpting New Images

"I know this state better than some people who have been here their whole lives. If there's a back road with an old bridge or a creek to take pictures of, I know it. I guarantee it."

After 20 years of service in the Navy, Michael Leonard retired and moved to Fort Smith, where he started pursuing photography in 1998. Completely self-taught in the technology, Leonard now produces professional works of subjects from across the country.

FAQ

Photographs: Michael Leonard

WHEN — Jan 5-29, opening reception 1-4 p.m. Jan. 10

WHERE — Center for Art and Education in Van Buren

COST — Free

INFO — art-ed.org, photovariations.com

"Of course, I've got all the standard stuff you see everyone in Arkansas doing -- the waterfalls, the barns -- if you live in Arkansas, you kind of can't get away from that," Leonard says. "But if I take pictures of the same old stuff, I try to present it in a unique way. I do everything myself: I build all the frames, and I print everything in my home."

In reaching beyond the boundaries of traditional photography, Leonard has developed a way of presenting his images known as photo sculpture. Leonard's pieces are displayed in frames and patterns that accentuate the images or themes presented in the photos.

"One of my largest pieces [in the show at the Center for Art and Education in Van Buren] is just called 'The Wall,'" Leonard says. "I really like old buildings and old architecture, and in my travels, I had seen a lot of old signs -- ghost signs -- on the sides of buildings. I collected a lot of photographs of these signs from the states in the region, and I printed each photograph I had taken onto canvas. I attached the canvases to six-by-nine-inch blocks and what I did, I made a wall."

Leonard sometimes finds inspiration from images he already has -- as with a windmill piece where he took images of windmills and fixed them to the arms of a 7 foot tall windmill structure so they might blow in the breeze to depict wind -- and other times a few photos he has will inspire an idea for which he needs to find specific images, as with "The Wall."

"It was a challenge, I'll tell you!" Leonard says. "I did a lot of research and scooting around using Google Earth trying to find these [old signs] because just driving around old towns hoping to stumble across one wouldn't have worked."

In addition to Leonard's photo sculptures, he does traditional two-dimensional photography, usually grouped in a theme, and infrared photography.

"A lot of people have infrared cameras, but I don't know anybody in the area that does infrared like I do," Leonard says. "It's the way I edit that makes it unique. You have to have a really high level of skill with Photoshop. You have to be able to do the old dodge and burn stuff like they used to do on actual film, but you're doing it on the computer. It sounds like bragging, but I'm very skilled on Photoshop, so I'm able to do it."

Leonard considers himself a "generalist," or a photographer who will take a picture of anything and is not limited to specific subject matter. He says learning new photography skills satisfied the boredom he was feeling after retiring from the Navy.

"I fell in love with it when I made that trip in 1998. I took a trip out West and snapped 13 rolls of film, which I thought was a humongous number at the time," Leonard recalls, laughing. "After that, every weekend I was out exploring back roads and looking for things to take pictures of. Learning new technology and new skills wasn't anything new to me, it's just who I am. So I taught myself how to improve my photography skills, how to use the infrared camera, took a year to teach myself Photoshop, and now I love it."

NAN What's Up on 01/01/2016

Source: Sculpting New Images