"Kintsugi" with Rowyn Hjelle and her Scar from Adrenocortical Carcinoma in Wet Plate
"Kintsugi" with Rowyn Hjelle and Dan Miller. 5x7" black glass ambrotype in the historic wet plate collodion process. This pure silver image will last hundreds and hundreds of years.
In her words -
"I had a large adrenocortical carcinoma removed from my left adrenal gland just four months before this image. Doctors worked for five and a half hours to remove the tumor, my left kidney, my left adrenal gland, and repaired the damage to my inferior vena cava.
This image is highlighting my surgical scar, it is a reminder of how powerful our bodies are. It's a reminder that sometimes the radiant, loving light is best shown through the cracks.
In Japan, there is a 500-year-old art called kintsugi where craftsmen repair broken pottery with gold. This is interwoven with the wabi-sabi philosophy of finding beauty in broken things. Instead of trying to cover the crack or seeing it as having lost value, they make it stronger, more beautiful, more valuable, by repairing with gold.
Embrace your scars! Wear them like a medal of strength and honor! You're even more beautiful with them! You're so beautiful! Love your body!"
"Tableau Vivant of the Condemned" Vampire Wet Plate Collodion Series
"Tableau Vivant of the Condemned" Dan Miller and Rowyn Hjelle, 8x10" black glass Ambrotypes in the historic wet plate collodion process of silver on glass. 10 seconds of exposure.
Brian Sorbo "My Eyes Have Seen Too Much" Dakota Access Pipeline NO DAPL!
"My Eyes Have Seen Too Much" with Brian Sorbo, 5x7" black glass ambrotype in the historic wet plate collodion process. Brian has spent the last 3 months at Standing Rock documenting the Native American struggle with the Dakota Access Pipeline. He is originally from North Dakota and I am happy to now call him a friend. Brian is the CEO of Flickersound, Inc.
He is a visual effects expert from California and his work can be seen in Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars Episodes I & II and The Mummy Returns.
"The Son of God" with Mitch Miller in Wet Plate Collodion
A triptych of plates, "The Son of God", "Temptationis Oblitus" and "The Struggle for Favor", with Mitch Miller, Brianna Dick, Tessa Klein, Shawna Shea, Zmercedes Sunshine Beito with the direction by Dan Miller. We had an amazing and creative afternoon together. My goal was to take a traditional wet plate of Jesus Christ in a traditional sense to honor the old masters that came before me with painting and sculpture.
8x10" black glass ambrotypes in the historic wet plate collodion process of pure silver on glass. Carl Zeiss Tessar 300mm lens, f4.5, 10 seconds of exposure, continuous florescent daylight bulbs.
Donald Trump "POTUS Revealed" Wet Plate Collodion by Shane Balkowitsch
Trumps signed executive orders to approve the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipeline, on my birthday no less, January 24, 2017. Well this wet plate artist will not stand idly by without making an artistic statement. The shoot was immediately planned and the composition woke me from my sleep. It is an artist's responsibility to use his or her art for change. Kevin Tengesdal was very kind to model as our Commander in Chief in the spur of the moment.
"Art isn't for ovation but expression" per Kim Olson
My symbolism for the plate as described by Kevin himself -
Feather And Skull: Native American Oppression, Death of Native American Culture; Oil on Shirt: Destruction of Environment, Dirty Energy; American Flag: Zealous Patriotism; Money: Wall Street, Wealth Inequality; Tutu: Cancelling Arts & Culture; Mustache: Hitler, Totalitarianism; Crown: Self-Imposed Royalty, Privilege; Torn Leggings: Woman Issues, Men's Issues, LGBT Issues; Crotch: Grabbing America by the Balls, Grab Them By The Pussy; Necklace: Chains that Bind; Belly: Gluttony of America; Pinched Fingers: How Few Americans care.
