Newsmaker Series

Newsmaker Installation, Giclée Prints, Variable, 2008-2014

This is a sample of the works in this series. If you would like to see more of the series for exhibition/collection purposes, please reach out through the contact link.

Newsmaker is a series of portraits influenced by media personalities in the United States. Specifically, this series’ focus is on portraits of those that act in the guise of News Anchors and Journalists. The work represents my observations on the transition, in emphasis, that has happened in contemporary news and journalism between reporting and extremely biased editorializing. Throughout history, it is accepted that a reporter can not completely devoid themselves of their personal views when reporting the news, but this new extreme has shifted away from facts and truth to the interests of corporate and political agendas.

The photographic portraits are displayed opposite graphical QR Codes that I have encoded using QR software. The “QR” or Quick Response codes when scanned, using any smart phone with a free downloadable QR reader application, will display a quote from each figure. For example, when the portrait of Jon Stewart is scanned the viewer will read the following quote from Jon Stewart, “I have not moved out of the comedian’s box into the news box. The news box is moving towards me.”

Portrait of Jon Stewart, 50 x 25, Giclée Print, 2008
QR Code Quote: “I have not moved out of the comedian’s box into the news box. The news box is moving towards me.”

Integrating traditional, alternative, and new media practices found in contemporary photography, I view these images as continuing in the historical line of the medium. At its core, all photographs operate as being a record of specific times and places. I view this series, Newsmaker, as a photographic record of the times in which we live today. The portraits are photographed from a television screen using a 4×5 camera and Fuji Positive Film. The emulsion of the film is then later transferred onto watercolor paper, digitally scanned, and combined with the QR code.

Portrait of Walter Cronkite, 50 x 25, Giclée Print, 2014
QR Code Quote: “Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy magazine.”

Portrait of Tucker Carlson, 18 x 9, Giclée Print, 2014
QR Code Quote: “I am not insecure about being a journalist. I have too much information already. Unless you know a lot more about something than I do, I am not interested.”

Portrait of Sean Hannity, 12 x 18, Giclée Print, 2014
QR Code Quote: “I’m a journalist who interviews people who I disagree with all the time. Fox News has all points of view.”

Portrait of Rupert Murdoch, 50 x 25, Giclée Print, 2014
QR Code Quote: “I think news should be proactive, stir ‘em up. New times demand a new journalism.”

Portrait of Sarah Palin, 42 x 50, Giclée Print, 2014
QR Code Quote: “I want to help clean up the state that is so sorry today of journalism. I have a communications degree.”

Portrait of Stephen Colbert, 33 x 50, Giclée Print, 2014
QR Code Quote: “In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant. Keep your facts, I’m going with the truth.”