Patrick J Osborne
Lincoln, CA - United States
Patrick J Osborne - Fine Artist
Member Since: 01/01/2011
* What You're Seeing:
With a background in painting, graphic arts and photography, my current work combines all three. They're neither true photographs, nor true paintings, but a synthesis of original photos and elements from all three disciplines, and any number of special treatments I've given them.
* Process:
I deconstruct an original photo, and re-assemble it--deliberately leaving things out--while including elements from altogether different images. I may add paint strokes or pastel highlights, for added luminance. Being a texture-freak, I never miss an opportunity to capture the essence of stone, concrete, peeling paint, fabric, and just about anything that's rusted, cracked, crazed or crumpled.
* * * SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE * * *
* Inspiration:
I'm fascinated by shadows and reflections---and how in normal settings, our brains tend to filter reflaections out, favoring a simple, recognizable two-dimensional image. Think about how your brain protects you when you're driving wet streets at night; and how it automatically downplays and filters all the chaotic reflections---allowing you to stay focused on just the essential cars, signs and traffic lights.
I like to play with the parts of an image that would ordinarily go unobserved, and create a tension between the expected an unexpected. I always know that my best opportunities will be at dawn or sunset---right about when my own goofy shadow is forty feet long. I love how shadows reveal an alter-reality to what appears to be a fairly normal subject, as I look for ways to exaggerate and accentuate their effect on a subject. Most of my still life images rely heavily on shadows and reflections for depth, balance and atmosphere.
* Finding Art in Chaos:
Because my eye is always searching for textures to photograph, I sometimes find surfaces that contain amazing, completely accidental compositions all by themselves. Such was the basis for a number of my abstracts that I discovered melded into the floor of a college art studio where students had been dripping, smearing and spattering paint for at least 50 years. There is almost always something valuable right under my nose---or under my feet. More than once people have wondered who this guy is that gleefully snaps photo after photo of everything that shouldn't be photographed.
