The photographs presented here are a subset of the big picture. It is the temporal process that matters not the overall image. It is not “of“ the moment but the accumulation of moments or layers that matter. These photographs are a series of curated (cropped) images chosen upon the visual interaction of temporal layers.

In painting, the creation of the image is a temporal process. The image is created using multiple layers of pigment built up over time to “assemble“ the image. The photographs presented here are more like paintings because they capture the temporal physical interactions with the environment and reflect the layers of time.
These layers represent the accumulation of many elements: The dirt and grime from weather, The deterioration of time, Temporally added elements—posters or objects, People’s physical exchanges—graffiti, over painting, vandalism, etc. The layers of the micro image are more relevant than macro image of the big picture.

It is the assemblage of these layers that make these images interesting. It is the dialectic and summary of time created by these layers that make them meaningful. They are no longer photographs but paintings of time or photographs of “paintings” living a fleeting existence. This is why these photographs are referred to as Micro-Paintings and are the big picture.

John Owens
January 2014

ISBN 978-1-941702-00-0 paperback