Elaborations Kim Kauffman

Ten years ago I started experimenting with a new imaging technique. Using a flatbed scanner rather than a camera, I began to record 3-dimensional objects. I was immediately entranced by the images––the amount of information and detail they offer is like nothing made with a camera. I now think of my scanner as an 8.5” x 11” view camera. I build an image from many parts, creating a composition that moves beyond the original scans as they interact with each other

My first––and favorite––subjects to scan came from my garden. One of my gardening joys is observing the forms and designs of plants while working among them; I was eager to explore them with my newfound tool.

This collection of images is named “Elaborations” because it traces the path of my continuing exploration of this photographic form. Some pieces celebrate my enduring fascination with botanical forms; others interweave natural and synthetic objects suggesting that perfect designs are found in nature. A new grouping is an exploration purely of form and light.

I am influenced by the many artists whose primary subject has been form. My newest work brings me back to the photograms I made in the darkroom as a beginning photographer and the studies of form that I made with a camera creating abstract photographs of buildings, lampshades, ductwork . . . anything. The additions of photo-collage and scanning have enabled me to take my love of abstraction in a new direction. It seems that it’s true––what’s old is new, what’s new is old. As an artist I keep circling back to my favorites, each time learning more.
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