This series of photographs, titled Subdivision, grow from my experience as a child living in a series of subdivisions. I was always fascinated by the way the modular designs for the houses were similar but varied, creating a cohesive feeling without being static. In this spirit, by using the same photographic module, I construct these images.
The source photograph stems from my daily log of contemporary street life as documented in my @_gretchengrace_ Instagram account. The juxtapositions of repetitive findings -- door grates, variations in bricks, parking lot striping -- create concrete abstractions with which I build images. These details have intermittently taken on a different role in the photographs, from background accompaniments to primary subject.
In this series, the original photograph stems from a corner of a disintegrating tennis court at the Jacob Riis beach in Queens, NY. The kaleidoscope action of the repetitive and fractured images provides an abstract interpretation of the community: the noise, the energy, the elements of wind and sand, and the overuse and underfunding of the public space.
As a springboard, I refer to Op Art, particularly the works of Victor Vasarely and his ability to bring static action to life, and contemporary abstract photographer Eileen Quinlan, who push the boundaries of perception and ephemeral occurrences in daily life.