Graffiti Mash-Up, 2014

In January 2014, Marisa and I visited Buenos Aires, Argentina. The city has developed a rich tradition of street art; a compilation and introduction to many of the artists can be seen at graffitimundo.com. Our visit provided the chance to extend the creation of overlaid collages first developed in 2012 at the Del Mar Fair.

None of the "subjects" in Graffiti Mash-Up actually exist in the natural world. How can that be? These images have not been created by manipulating single-image photographs in Photoshop. Rather, each photograph has been created by overlaying two, full-frame, 60-megapixel photographs. This has been done in a way to allow the viewer to see the bottom image "through" the top image. The composite image created is unique and is a product of the choice of what to photograph, of how to frame the subjects, and of which subjects to overlay. At the same time, the Graffiti Mash-Up images are also heavily reliant on the artistry of others who have left their striking works of art on the streets of Buenos Aires. Also included in the Mash-Ups are overlaid images from works by well-known artists such as Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Federico Botero, et al., displayed at the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires ("MALBA"). I am indebted to all of these artists without whom my work would be a blank frame!

For completeness, I've included in the 2014 collection a rework of two images from the 2013 Del Mar Fair, "The Jacksons" and "Jackson and Consort." These were recreated as a part of the Graffiti Mash-Up project in 2014. The older versions of these "Mash-Ups" can be seen in the Del Mar Fair, 2013 collection.

The 10 Mash-Ups, "Man Woman," "Conjunto," "Red Star," "Flamingo Man," "Boy, Girl Encounter Lion," "Lips X Two," "Shepherd," "Don't Tread on Me," "Red Lips and Flamingo, Too," and "Ice Cream!" were actually created in 2015 from the digital files shot in Buenos Aires the year before. They are included here as they thematically and artistically resemble the earlier collection.