P#34: An Abstract Photograph at Fort Warden
Terry Donnelly goes into the thought and technique behind this unique abstract photograph
When you first look at this abstract photograph, it's nearly impossible to tell what it is. One thing is certain, however, and that is the shot's beauty. Here Terry explains how and what is behind this unique picture.
It All Comes Together
Terry Donnelly: This image is an abstract photograph that was taken with the 4x5. It is a concrete wall at a place called Fort Warden, which is a very old military instillation from the turn of the last century. There is a lot of concrete artillery here. (click the image for a larger version)
The walls at this location are constantly being tagged by graffiti artists, and then the state park who administers the site comes along with their spare paint and they paint over it. The following weekend, the taggers are back so there's this multi-layered painted wall. Then nature comes along and weathers the whole thing and it creates a wonderful texture.
I like that interplay. I think it's a very fun thing to do and for me it's a real counterpoint -- it's a real balm from the big scenes, from the classic things that we would normally expect landscape photographers to be doing.
In Summary
While some may think of graffiti as nothing but a headache and a nuisance, it actually made this unique shot possible. If you look closely, the tale of the battle between graffiti artists, the parks department and Mother Nature can be seen in this abstract photograph of a wall at Fort Warden.
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