Photography As ART – FOSSIL series – Scene 10
April 21 2017 - Photography As ART
Image 67 show ruins of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius in the background. Image 68 of an excavation in Pompeii show fossilized citizens from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD in pans, tilts, zooms, and in full. {Possibly if needed have some stock footage of a volcano eruption.]
NARRATOR:
Soon after DOUBLE VISION, James moved forward on a new series that had come to mind. In 1996 media attention was given to archaeological discoveries in and around Pompeii when it was added to the World Monuments Watch. The historic Roman city was buried in volcanic ash by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. This gave James the idea of visualizing his own archaeological dig to sweeping away earth to find beautiful artifacts.
JAMES:
My first attempts were made on the beach. It seemed like the obvious location, easy to dig and sweep, but this turned out to present several problems; no control over exposing my Muse to sunlight…
CUT to James addressing the camera audience making his points. JAMES:
… no simple way to photograph straight down to capture the excavated area, and the scene attracted attention from beachgoers. Another approach had to be considered.
Show several photos of the Muse, Cleveland in her woods overlooking Edgartown Pond.
JAMES:
The new place to stage the FOSSIL Series was in the woods on Cleveland’s eight inherited property by Edgartown Pond.
Image 69 shows a BEACH FOSSILS in pans, tilts, zooms, and in full.
Image 70 shows a sketch of the working plan for the FOSSIL SERIES. CUT to a Video of it and a pencil in hand pointing out what is being described by James.
JAMES:
It didn’t take long to find a location that would work well, a shaded flat area between two strong trees. I attached a heavy rope between these two trees about 10 feet up, against which a tall ladder could rest, and from which I could shoot down. There was only one thing missing – the moldable sand.
CUT to a photo of my 1996 Chevy Silverado.
JAMES:
This was resolved by four 2X12X8 lumber boards nailed together into a large box that I filled one night with five loads of beach sand with my Silverado truck. A finishing touch; hanging sheets to shade the area.
NARRATOR:
The photographic process went like this: A pose, like the ANGEL FOSSIL, would be decided upon. James would dig a trench in the sand to fit it. The Muse would lie in the trench. She was asked to take shallow breaths while carefully being covered in sand. The sand would then be swept away with a broom until the right form was achieved, after which James would quickly climb the ladder to take several shots straight down at the Muse in the box. This BACKSIDE FOSSIL shown here is a favorite, and had an additional impediment of enabling the muse to breathe; she had to stay with her head down in the sand for about twenty minutes.
CUT to a quick video a hole being drilled at a corner section holding beach sand, and passing through a clear breathing tube.
NARRATOR:
To make that possible, a hole was drilled at a side of box to run a breathing to her through the sand. And you thought being a Muse was easy!
CUT to Image 71 the ANGEL FOSSIL in pans, tilts, zooms, and in full. Image 72 shows the BACKSIDE FOSSIL in pans, tilts, zooms, and in full.
Image 73 shows the DOUBLE FOSSIL in pans, tilts, zooms, and in full.
NARRATOR:
This series was beginning to enter another phase of using two or more fossil models when personal problems ended work for several years. Only one DOUBLE FOSSIL was taken…
THE END of Scene Eleven
