Artist statement: Eyes downward, we appear to be becoming apathetic to and less aware of our surroundings and a small phone or tablet screen often mediates our engagement with the world. Phenomena, such as the sky at night that we are unable to see with our eyes because of light pollution or cloud cover, we can now virtually ‘see’ by using certain apps on smart phones or tablets. In this photograph I have constructed towering cloud formations from one source, the landscape from another and superimposed a screen shot provided by the iPhone App, Night Sky to create an image steeped in Romanticism, to evoke an emotional response and draw the gaze upwards.
Also known as Giclee prints or bubble-jet prints, pigment ink-jet prints are generated by computer printers from digital or scanned files using dye-based or pigment-based inks. A series of nozzles spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper surface in a precise pattern that corresponds to the digital image file. In dye-based prints the ink soaks into the paper, whereas in pigment-based prints the ink rests and dries on top of the paper surface.
Whilst the term is broad, pigment ink-jet prints have come to be associated with prints produced on fine art papers. They are the most versatile and archival method of printing available to photographers today. A wide variety of material on which an image can be printed with such inks are available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolour paper, cotton canvas or pre-coated canvas.
