The making of John

To create the installation for John, I used metal, string, tape, newspaper, paint, plaster, and found objects. The picture was set up with a singular point of view in mind. Because the installation took up the whole studio space, I had to set my 4x5 camera outside and shoot through an open window. I also needed to consciously of build the installation from the back forward, only leaving enough space for my friend John to crawl under the strings and reach his post.

Every time I’d enter my small studio space, an orb spider would get into a frenzied high velocity vibration that amazed me. At first blush, I thought of it as a coincidence, but every time I would walk by, the spider would emit its intense vibration.

John was born out of this sight and also learning about string theory, which speculates that an infinite number of parallel universes exist simultaneously. The installation involved loads of strings recycled from what was previously used in the making of Wedding Cake.

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