Form and Image by Greg Zulkie

Form and Image Greg Zulkie

Introduction.

It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just a question of strong, spontaneous gestures, but of how they are related, one to another, how they led to one another, not just in terms of a two-dimensional read, but in terms of a three-dimensional read. They all had to wrap into the same volume of space in the same time frame, and they had to do it according to certain kinds of visual laws about what made sense with what, laws which were not that far removed from the laws of physics. - Robert Irwin

Form and Image Greg Zulkie at the California of the Arts

All Images Copyright ÂŠ2013 Greg Zulkie

Part One Grid and Point.

Form Studio. As newly recruited graduate students, Martin

Each successive week, we discussed the relative merits and

Venezky (the professor) asked us (the students) to shed the

failures of our attempts. Then, taking what was discussed, I

baggage of our professional and multi-disciplinary design

took my investigation to the next level. This repeated eleven

backgrounds. The goal was to build a connection between how I

more times, culminating in a final show that allowed us to see

create, what I make, and how myself and the world see the output

the full arcs of discovery undertaken by each person.

of my efforts. In doing so, I was also able to practice a logical, studious method of creativity and production that is often too

Each step I took suggested an array of options to pursue lines

slow to exist in the commercial world. This class allowed me

of investigation, the goal always moving further out of reach.

to step back, take a breath, and create work that stands on its

This way of working becomes its own satisfaction. It gave

own without an agenda or client.

me the ability to overcome roadblocks and experiment with ways of making and documenting both two and three-

Our process began humbly, with brown paper lunch bags

dimensional objects.

piled in the middle of the table in our windowless classroom. We each selected two anonymous bags and hesitatingly

On the opposite page, there are samples of some of my initial

peered inside. Pictured above are the two objects I inherited:

images, where I’m just getting to know my objects. In creating

bundles of toothpicks (three total) and a gridded silicone

“dumb” images, I am trying to get to know what makes these

disc. The assignment was as simple as it was frustrating:

objects interesting. Without this sort of experimentation, my

what is interesting about these objects? What makes them

later work would have been impossible to discover.

worth exploring? What gives them their “thingness?” In one week’s time, I was expected to return with photographs and drawings that highlight, reimagine, and explore my objects.

“A strategy of inquiry is more important than a collection of finished work.” - Martin Venezky

Pen drawings. Week 1.

Acrylic stamped grids. Weeks 2-3.

In the early weeks, I continued to use my actual objects as the tools with which I was experimenting. Of the many properties of my silicon disk, the combination of a grid structure and its circular shape is where I found many of my opportunities. In this series, I used the disk to stamp grids with various amounts of control. By warping and repeating, I was able to gain insight into the relationship of the grid to the circle. This exercise was also an important step in letting go. A large part of my personal discovery in this process was to learn to set up the conditions for an experiment and let it run, then not attempt to art direct it to the miniscule detail.

Eventually I moved beyond the circular grid, discovering how I could make images using found objects. This series was created using the interior of a wine box as a structure for spray paint to explore. Placed on the paper, the rectangular structures act almost as buildings in a city, the spray paint floating through the gaps. By carefully choosing what squares and angles to explore with the paint, I was able to capture differing moods and patterns.

Spray painted grids. Week 4.

I love the photographic medium because of how powerfully the viewer can be projected into a scene. How can an object as benign as a toothpick be bestowed with an otherworldly quality? I spent several weeks experimenting with toothpicks and how they could be arranged to create an atmoshpere of discomfort and danger. Form Studio asked us is to present objects without their “name.” By removing the qualities of “toothpick” from the viewer’s mind, the objects reveal their true nature: sinister and threatening. These photographs place us inside a world where there is no safe ground. I was also interested in the high-contrast images created by backlighting these subjects. By experimenting with intersecting toothpicks, some of the compositions appear to vibrate with energy.

Spiked Tunnel. Week 4.

Hedgehogs. Week 4.

After my series on dangerous environments, I hit a roadblock. In order to add variety to the toothpicks I had been given at the outset of this process, I bought barbecue skewers. After creating some constructions to photograph, I was not very satisfied. I decided to explore how using the skewers to emboss paper could create subtle intersections between line and shadow. When lit and photographed, I discovered this strategy of marking was something I wanted to explore further. These simple drawings launched me into the second phase of my work for Form Studio.

Part Two Deformation and Environment.

I took to this process with a lot of excitement, as it felt like a natural extension of my aesthetic point of view. Over the course of several hours, I created over 50 experiments using the skewers as an embossing tool. Often starting with subtle, quiet compositions, I would then build up the complexity, enjoying how the embossed marks overlapped and interacted. Furthermore, I began to see how these embossed marks could intertwine with lines created using marker or pencil. On the opposite page are three examples of how I progressed with this exploration. In the first image on the left, I looked at how pencil could enhance the natural shadow created when I set it up for a photograph. In the second, I used line to extend the embossed marks, creating an optical illusion of a continuous path across the page. In the third, I decided to forgo pencil or marker, but by the sheer volume of embossed marks on the page, I created the sensation of movement and speed within the composition. On the following pages are what I believe to be my best examples of merging embossment and marks. I wanted the lines to appear to behave in a natural and logical way with one another, complimenting or affecting each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress as appropriate.

Deformed paper and black pencil. Week 5.

Deformed paper and black ink. Week 5.

Deformed paper and black pencil. Week 5.

I became interested in the idea of one objectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s affect on another. In this series, I created simple arrangements of black lines. Using vellum paper to deform and affect what would otherwise be a very simple path, the black lines struggle to make their way across the page. This also marked an expansion from the two-dimensional world of my previous mark making to three-dimensional layering. I wanted to maintain the formal, quiet compositions from my previous work, but access new tension and drama.

Eventually, the camera became an essential element of the composition. The materials I have been working with: paper, drawing tools, toothpicks, all affected the direction of my investigation. As I worked with vellum, line, and shadow, the camera itself was no longer a means to record what I had created, but an extension of my thought process. The images on this page led me to my next area of exploration. I became fascinated with how the cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s narrow depth of field could create vague, dreamy atmospheres.

Vellum and black paper. Week 6.

By this period in my exploration, I had minimized almost everything from the compositions, leaving the viewer to simply exist within the work. The two images on this spread lead directly to all my work to follow. After working in a looser, more responsive mode for several weeks, I tightened up my methodology. Through experimentation, I had gotten to know my black lines and vellum very well. Personally, I believe that an image consisting of one confident stroke is a harder thing to master than filling a page with texture. These two studies showed me how striking a minimalist approach could be. On the following page is a piece that simply attempts to create an environment. The dark stroke provides an entry point and central area of focus, giving structure to the subtle gradations of the world in which it lives.

Vellum and black paper. Week 7.

After working down to nothingness, it was time to build back up, but without forgetting what I had learned. This series combines much of what defined my objects up to this point. I wanted to create spaces and atmospheres that still had the qualities of timelessness and calm. I also used the camera to full advantage, using narrow focus fields to create a contrast between sharp and vague shapes. Through this technique, I was able to explore interesting interplays between these different states of being.

Throwing a wrench in the works. I could have been satisfied and continued on with tightly planned and composed images, but that would have gotten boring very quickly. This image, created alongside the images on the previous page, gave me the insight into my next move. The overlap at the bottom of the page was not exactly what I had intended to feature, but it became an inevitable focal point of the image. How might other compositions start to degrade? What would happen if something didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go according to plan?

The uninvited guest. I took that happy accident on the previous spread and looked at how small “mistakes” could tell a new story within the frame of the image. What was important to me was to let these uninvited guests occur in a way that made a logical sense in the image. How they might flow along established pathways – or interrupt them – needed to feel like it would be something that might occur naturally.

Vellum. Week 10.

Part Three Analog Temporality.

Over the course of 13 weeks, this processed-based class led me to through exploration of minimalistic forms and the unexpected qualities given to an image by the tools used to create it. During previous weeks, I had spent a significant amount of time planning and executing digital shots in the studio. In the last few weeks, I decided to let go of that control and use my film cameras, playing with with a few simple shapes. I took my investigation to its final conclusion. All I could do was set up my experiments and let the camera do the work. It was exciting to not know what I would get back out until I developed the negatives. I had learned how the depth of field given by a wide-open camera apeture could impart mysterious effects. When switching to my Nikon FM2, I was now able to use an apeture of f/1.4. This extremely narrow focal range created very organic gradations in my lines, particularly how one line merges into another.

Black paper, Fuji Neopan 1600 (expired). Week 12.

Scanning experiments. Fuji Neopan 1600 (expired), Epson v750 Film Scanner. Week 12.

In my final week, I explored motion through film and long-exposure techniques. I was inspired by how the narrow focal range of the previous weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s images created a strong relationship between the elements in the composition. I decided that the way to delve into this further would be to leave the subject matter static, but allow the camera to move instead. Using my Hasselblad 500c and 8-16 second exposure times, I let the compositions essentially create themselves through my inability to hold the camera still over that long period of time. In contrast to the rigid methods I used early in the semester to create my work, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m satisfied ending my investigation with these fluid, organic pieces.

This class was a great adventure. The ability to take my time and let a single line of inquiry breathe over the course of four months showed me how important creative making truly is. I have no doubt that I will bring this methodology into as much of my future work as possible. 73

Stamped and spray-pa

Black paper over illuminated background. Week 13.