"ALONE TOGETHER"

ARTIST STATEMENT

THOMAS CARD

Mechanically produced and reproduced images have been embraced by American culture since the founding of the nation. Since then, photographic imagery in its various forms has become the dominant media of communication. Alone Together celebrates the value of this era and the new opportunities to create forms filled with symbolism from our culture.

By employing the repetition of print images, the role of the singular image has changed—it no longer functions solely as an image, but rather as a mark. The image enjoys a singular meaning, enhanced by a contextual meaning, further enhanced through sequencing and finally through repetition. The form and pattern emerge with balance and assigned values, all referencing historical norms, while playing with new context and symbols.

The rural setting itself serves as an ideal representation of industrialization, where every aspect of the natural environment has been mass altered into the same structure and form to fit societal needs. While the works represent the land, they also depict the experience of bearing witness to a unique and often overlooked perspective of beauty.

The most central part of the photographic landscape in the single image is the horizon, which is the simplest fundamental form. At this delicate juncture, man erects his mark, creating a meaningful form against the sky. Framed this way, the beauty of the line that is formed, the interplay of perspective and repetition within the architecture of our society, from the overall image down to the most basic dot formed by the grain of the images, cannot be ignored.

The removal of the artist's hand does not remove the artist; it simply provides a new vocabulary build upon a long rich history. Despite mass reproduction, we still find infinite amounts of personalization taking place. Alone Together applies new techniques and forms to challenge the viewer to question the idea that images function differently based on their quantity and placement, providing fantastic new opportunities to move forward within our culture.