Photo Essay Photographer Inspiration: Tony Oursler





    I chose Tony Oursler as an inspiration for my photo essay. Although his works appearance is not quite what I did with my series the process he used is definitely something I can find inspiration from. His main focus in his projection series was using sculptures and videos to create art. In the first picture above it is a photo taken while he had a video projecting onto a sculpture. He focuses a lot of his work around using new and different types of technology. I find this a very interesting way to look at photography. 

   

     In a lot of his art displays involving projections, he is showing a moving image or video rather than just captured images. His work is also on the dark and creepy side. When I look at videos of his work it almost gives me and unsettling feeling. Although this isn't what I wanted to achieve with my series, it was definitely interesting for me to see all the possibilities that projections give to the photography world. 

         

   Tony Oursler considers himself as a visual artist. He addresses a wide range of media including computers, video screens, video sculptures, optical devices and projections on architecture and landscapes. The second image pictured is an example of his projection on architecture. This falls a little closer to the idea of my photo essay just at a much larger scale. This image is from his “Tear of the Cloud” public projections. This project included a wide range of artwork projected onto the space between the Hudson River and the city in New York and focused on the cultural, social, ecological, and technological data of the region we was displaying it in. What I find inspirational about this specific project of his is how he found it important to project visuals that were significant to the region he was showing them. This makes me think to be more thoughtful about what projections im using on each subject and how they should tie together to tell a story and create a more satisfying look.

          

  What I found the most inspirational in his work that was important for me to learn from when creating my photo essay was the way he perfectly placed each projection. A lot of his work wouldn’t be nearly as effective if it weren’t for how thought out this aspect was. I found this to be the main reason why my images came out to be eye catching as well and a lot of the reason for the positive feedback I received on my first few images. Utilizing the shape of each projection to the subject of the image is what really creates a perfect narrative in each piece.  




Sources: https://hifructose.com/2018/11/08/tony-ourslers-tear-of-the-cloud-public-projections/


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