Thomas Joshua Cooper, Moonlight - West, Southwest - The Mid Atlantic Oce, 2004 -
The photograph has a mystical feel to it. The composition is balanced by the rock formation and the white line. If the glow behind the white line did not light up the background, then all of the attention would have been focused on the formation in the foreground. This glow also explores the depth conveyed by the composition, showing that there is space beyond the rock formation. Clarity of each surface of the rock formation is created by Cooper’s choice in exposing the photo for a longer period of time so that the light source could be utilize to highlight each uneven edge. Cooper took his time to capture this mystical setting which allows me to imagine him in a trance as he set up the composition for this photograph. The formal elements infer his encapsulation by each detail of the formation and the light that surrounded it. He fell in love, as I would like to say, and it is evident in the time he must have spent to set up the aperture, shutter speed, and focus to capture the state of mind he was in while viewing such a site.
From the description provided about Oppenheim’s process of creating Wolf It Down I can infer that the artist was using similar machinery and tools of those who are stripping the Earth of its resources. In his statement I envision Oppenheim reenacting the process of tearing up the Earth’s surface for selfish desires, but in the end using the same materials to fill the holes in order to make a statement about those who actually do this sort of act on a daily basis. The process described led me to believe Oppenheim to be in state of disbelief as he reenacts the same process that he is trying to speak out against, while still proud as others get the message he is trying to convey in an extremely large dimension.
Nice job. I think Oppenheim is a pretty wonderful artist.
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