Im Mai 2016 ist die Lochkamera-Serie „Best Silicon Selfies“ während einer Portfolio-Class in den Dunkelkammern Stanfords entstanden. Bei den Originalen handelt es sich um 8×10 inch Fiber Prints.
Hier das dazugehörige Artstatement:
The selfie is currently the most popular photography style.
It changes our view of the world because we are constantly in its way. Thus, we lose perspective.
Frank Patalong
Perhaps the countless selfies taken in front of the famous headquarters of Google, Facebook etc. are main proof of this popular but skewed view of the world. Here, the elite of technological progress -the center of all kinds of social media- meets with its own imperfect ego and a perfectionist, digital photography technique, that can do almost anything.
All over the world, selfies create the impression that we can control our own image and apply a “beauty filter”. But what is the meaning of a selfie next to the logo of a computer giant or a company like Apple? Why are we doing this?Is it the memory of a special place? Proof that we were there? Is there an aura of genius around the famous headquarters of Apple, Google, Facebook etc.? Are we dreaming today’s rags-to-riches dream from IT student to start-up billionaire?
My pinhole selfies change the view of all of this: very little control with the perfection of pure physics. What kind of picture of me will emerge? Flattering poses or smiles become superfluous. The bent surface of the picture is a distorting filter of the famous location, the film material sensitive, delicate and old.
Me and my view of the world of the Silicon Valley.
Without control, imperfect and unfiltered.