Artist Statement
DRAWTOGRAPHY

Sound a bit redundant? 'Graphis' or 'graphê' the Greek word meaning 'drawing' or "representation by means of line" makes 'drawtography' translate to draw-draw, or as I like to think of it, twice the drawing (drawing squared?). Not the sexiest name, but seems to make good sense. One line drawing, laid atop another line drawing, to create a single scene in one complete image...drawtography sounds fairly accurate.

Drawtography is the fourth major progression for my work, an exploration that has spanned the past twenty years. Prior to anaglyphs I was interested in recreating street scenes in the form of pop-up photography. My pop-ups had a three-dimensional quality that used two-dimensional work to form spatial relationships in a three-dimensional composition. Prior to pop-ups, I was using two-dimensional images to build large wall-hanging sculptures that often protruded into the viewers personal space. With a heavy emphasis on photography, using found objects and other mixed media I set out to make photography as three-dimensional and as sculptural as possible. In the early days, I was in the darkroom printing multiple negatives on a single sheet of photo paper, traditionally mounting the photographs, then with pencil and paint, creating trompe l'oeil
images with the illusion of layers and a multi-dimensional feel.

In 2008, developing this new process for the anaglyph was an exciting evolution.
The 150 year old concept mixed with today's tools lends itself well in giving my 2D images the appearance of floating above and behind the printed page. The sense of volume and layering engages one's senses with a different way of seeing. The flattened image is reinflated and within seconds, retailored landscapes emerge.

-Shawn Harris 10/2010