Rangefinder Magazine
March 2006

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Self-Assignment: Collages Bryan White
 

For many photographic artists, the art of seeing sometimes dissolves into a stagnant slump of cookie-cutter images lacking heart and fire. Once an artist has been caught in this quicksand of glossed-over repetition, many times there is no escape. All photographic artists fall prey to these tendencies, and it’s very important to be able to recognize these moments and take steps to ensure a swift rescue. Over the years, I have found that a strong solution to regain a sense of artistic vision is through self-assignments. “ABC 123” is a perfect example of the power of a self-assignment and its ability to reignite the creative fire.

About a year ago, I saw an alphabet piece created by a photographer who was a student at a photographic retreat in Italy. The photographer “saw” the alphabet in and around a small town in Italy and created a beautiful collage to showcase the results. All the letters were captured just as they existed naturally in architectural elements, fencing, steps, shadow patterns and so on.

I was so inspired that I gave myself an assignment to accomplish the same feat along with the numbers 1–10 at, of all places, Disney World. I was able to complete the collage in about three to four days on a family vacation. Most of the images were captured while pushing a stroller, waiting in line or sitting at a parade. I would not suggest undertaking such a selfassignment while on vacation with your family, but for those of you who want to raise the level of difficulty, go right ahead!

Needless to say, the task was very challenging and a whole lot of fun. My daughter and I even made a game of trying to find the most letters and numbers. Assignments such as this one certainly test your regular vision as well as your creative vision.

As you look at the pictures on this page you can see there were many letters and numbers that were in large supply. Others were extremely difficult to locate. The final collage contains the best representations of the letters and numbers arranged in a quilt-like fashion.

Self-assignments can challenge and stimulate you into many different artistic directions that often find their way into your day-to-day work. Again, no matter what your specialty is, you can increase your capabilities as an artist and your range of styles through the use of selfassignments. The photographic artist who is ever evolving, learning and staying open to new perspectives will ultimately be the most successful. Visit www. whitelakestudio.com.