Art, Health and Irony

Few will argue about the inspirational, educational, social, cultural and other life-enriching aspects of art. However, it's ironic that there's something about the nature of both art and artists that seems to inhibit people from taking a managed, common-sense approach to protecting themselves from the all-too-real toxins found in many artist materials.

I just received a note from a young woman who was diagnosed with heavy metal toxicity from exposure to colorants in oil colors. I am getting more and more of these communications as word about EcoVisual Communications and greenphotoprint.com spreads. Please use these materials responsibly, and store them safely away from children. Review the relevant Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) information available from manufacturers and suppliers. If you work with powders of ANY kind, wear a respirator and use an appropriately scaled ventilation hood. The constituents of ceramic glazes often contain heavy metals and other respiratory irritants and carcinogens. Many inks contain volatile organic compounds that are known respiratory- and neuro-toxins. Few artists take the necessary precautions to ensure their own health. Denial is a powerful defense and lord knows we cannot afford to lose either more artists or the work they could have produced if they were healthier. Please spread the word.

More 7s from NY VT NH trip back from St. Lawrence

The language of green...

Green is everywhere… so much so that I fear it’s losing its meaning. Greenwashing is abundant. We need something new, something more accurate that will discourage hyperbole, exaggeration and false claims. Is there any such word?

“Sustainable” is the latest buzzword but what does it really mean? Boccilism is sustainable, as are poison ivy and mosquitos. Does that make them healthy or desirable? “Renewable” is another. Dioxins are easily renewable but we don’t want them. “Healthy?” There’s nothing unhealthy about natural wood products from rainforests but are they abundant and sustainable? “Environmentally sound?” Removing people from the equation would be environmentally sound but, personally speaking, I’d find that difficult. All of this suggests the need for some new labels that encompass all of the aspects of green – healthy, sustainable, renewable, environmentally responsible and more. Got ideas? If so, please send me an email at rick@ecovisualcom.com.

Revelations

I just had a brain MRI. (Nothing wrong - just an experiment.) It had me wondering if they can tell more about the inside of my head from the pictures they take or from the pictures I take.

Images, meaning and time...

Like most of us involved in photography, art and imaging I sometimes think about what it is that drives me to make images. By far, the vast majority of my original image making is for personal, not commercial purposes. With all of life’s other demands, why do I make images?

On a recent Vermont mini-vacation I shot the image above of a porch at a country inn. My own personal sensibilities run toward the ironic and my own preference is to shoot people in formal vignettes in their own environments, images of strange objects and places, and artifacts of the modern world. I tend to shy away from more traditional, scenic imagery (though I print a lot of it in my commercial life) but found myself really drawn to this image. Why? Is there a hidden story that it tells? Despite the absence of people in the image there is a “presence” here that I find compelling. Who created this scene? Was it spontaneous or staged? Who are the children and adults whose presence I feel?

If you have a story about this image, impression, fiction or fact, I’d love to know what it is. Please post a comment or email me at rick@ecovisualcom.com. Thanks.

If you can’t print it well, print it big, or The Fool’s Guide to Success

Years ago, when I was a photo student at RIT, there was a sort of underground dictum that went something like, “if you can’t make it good, make it big.” This was typically a sort of misguided approach to trying to salvage a bad print or image. You can’t argue with the idea that big prints are impressive when done well, however a big print of an image that lacks power, drama, interest or insight is just a big print. On the other hand, a big print of a powerful image can be all that much more powerful, captivating and interesting. Size does matter but not nearly as much as content or quality. Smaller prints used to be much more common in galleries, museums and other venues. The emergence of inkjet has allowed us to create high quality small and big images at reasonable prices on both “desktop” and large format professional printers.

While many audiences have responded to greenphotoprint.com’s green approach, the artists and photographers we work with remind us every day that while “green is nice, quality is paramount.” That’s why I strive every day to be the best printer I can be. Quality, whether small or large, in ideas and prints, is paramount. Green is growing in importance every day. And as more images get bigger and bigger, the green aspect grows in importance. However, we will never sacrifice quality to be green in fine art, photographic or commercial applications, small or large. Fact is, museum, gallery, photographer, artist or business, you can have both.

Does goodwill make for good business?

Since beginning EcoVisual Communications and greenphotoprint.com I have received countless emails and phone calls from people who don’t even know me wishing me well, some from distant shores. The outpouring of responses to our story has been completely inspiring. We’ve been fortunate in this economic climate to have some great projects, not only on the printing side, but in the sale and exhibition of some of my original work too. This is always gratifying.
The real test for us will be whether or not we can convert this outpouring of goodwill to actual ongoing sales of prints, consulting on green communications or other services. So far things are encouraging but we’re still a ways from anything that could be considered to be a business success. Time will tell…

In the meantime, we were just notified that EcoVisual Communications and, specifically, greenphotoprint.com have been awarded semifinalist status in Idea Cafe's 2009 Entrepreneurial Spirit grant awards. Humbled and honored to get this far…