Transmissions of Light : NYC
Concept and Images by Gisel Florez 2019
Fluidity of manual technique within the camera has brought me a new understanding of time and the light that passes through it. As cameras continue to develop complex automation through AI, I have found my power of seeing through the intentional use of controls within the camera. Using a manual large format digital camera, I am creating images lit by the waves of phosphorus, neon, and the light-emitting diodes (LED) that are found in public advertisement signage. The resulting photographs create a textural mapping of wave emissions. With complete fluid control of axis, focus, time, and position I have been able to analyze the most stunning displays of light. The location of the shoot subtly reveals itself through landmark lighting, morphed advertising typeface, and sparse human aspects. Variation of light source, wattage, and efficiencies of the city’s nightlife bring unique colors and textural markings that interact within their setting. This technique should be considered a lightwave based blueprint of space and time. So far I have focused this project on New York City, the special home where I've found and created my family. These textural displays celebrate the multitude of spectrum within our existence & society. This project has a unique timestamp for every capture. This series will be seen and printed as one of a kind, lightwave blueprints. Highlighting the importance of human manual photographic decision making, this project proves there is so much that has yet to be discovered. I’ve developed this technique as my antithesis to the automated intelligence movement.
This collection is intended to celebrate the new color spectrums by illuminating a city’s night time experience as a symphony of colorful textural moire. By studying past artists such as Howard Edgerton and Laslo Moholy-Nagy, I found a like-minded curiosity within the interaction between time & light. The ultra-vibrant colors of the ever-developing light bulb continue to enrich our visual pallet within night-time existence. Dan Flavin and James Turrel are two of my favorite light-focused artists, each bringing a unique perspective into the colors of eminence; both natural and artificial. Final prints of my series will be large and draw in the viewers with a conceptualized symphony of the moiré effect. This phenomenon can naturally be witnessed through the layering of thin fabrics, or by viewing a fine pattern overlapping on a display. The large format of these images show off the splendor of the immense details within this project, bringing true wonder into the light. These art pieces are my transmissions of light; emanating, refracting, and reflecting throughout existence into the early 2020s.
