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Artist's Statement
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been visually oriented. My earliest memories consist of a series of images from broad events like the lunar landings, and personal moments such as mishaps in my youth. I first discovered the satisfaction of sharing my artwork in 7th grade, when I compiled a photo essay of my nephew. Those photographs were developed in the darkroom and prominently displayed in the halls of my junior high.
Today I continue to capture the world around me through photography, but I use an expanded set of resources that includes digital cameras and an Apple computer. These tools allow me complete control over my artistic process. I’ve built an extensive, professional-quality studio that enables me to use technology to achieve a level of efficiency and precision that I could once have only imagined.
My work continues to evolve as my subject matter changes. I have explored the mystery of the human figure, the elements, flora, and modern architecture. Recently these inspirations have become increasingly suggestive of one another, and I have used software to merge them into a highly personalized imagery. As their separate components begin to converse, new relationships are revealed, and there is an alchemical reaction that I find compelling.
Finally, presentation is vital to my work. I have owned and operated a framing business for over two decades. This experience has led me to concoct novel ways of presenting my photos. I have incorporated a panel system that adds a dynamic component to composition, thus leading the viewer’s eye slowly across the image’s surface. Additionally, I have employed reverse-angled degrees and levels to add increased dimensionality to my work. These methods become cues for interpretation.
Over the last few years I have shown in a variety of spaces, including the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Westmoreland Museum, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Hoyt Fine Art Institute. I have every intention of continuing to seek meaning and reaction through engagement with both the mundane and the magical.
Mark Panza
2013
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