The cloud series evolved from the structure series. In an attempt to undermine the subject I chose a ubiquitous one and shot most from one location. To further this thought I overlaid a grid on many of the photographs. The use of film manipulation and the resulting artificiality of the colors takes them further from the narrative. They are large prints ranging from 20x20 (portfolio) and so far reaching 48 x 144".
I discussed the film manipulation on the "structure portfolio" page; the new thing here, apart from the subject, is the grid. It acts like all grids as a distancing and ordering device. As an distancing device it acts to cool the sometimes baroque swirls of the clouds. Maybe it can be seen more as a counterpoint (whoe - an extension of the "baroque metaphor"). It also acts to create a more overall composition - the eye can travel freely in and out of the image rather than getting sucked into a pre-ordained area.
Sometimes I let it go and sometimes the film grain alone acts in a similar way. Cate McQuaid writes about the "indigo triptych":“Indigo” takes off from the endless night sky, rather than from a cardboard box. There are no stars in this series of three photo’s; they simply show deep, electric blue unfolding from shrouds of black. Just that color might be enough, but if you get up close, texture winks out at you. It’s the film’s grain, and it adds a soft buzz to the deep serenity of the tones.And regarding "blue with grid":There are more grids to be seen in “Blue with Grid,” which also features an expanse of deep blue that seems to darken around the picture’s edges, giving it the illusion of atmospheric depth. The contrast between the flat, mathematical precision of the grid and the softness of visual space that Harris seems to construct with lush strokes of an airbrush offers a finely tuned counterpoint that is a pleasure to view.She writes far more succinctly than I do so I'll just add one more thing. What I like most about the grid idea is that it led to the next series. In "cardboard/object" the grid is implicit in the chosen subject; in effect it becomes the subject. How sweet is that?