ASPIDISTRA AND LAKESIDE POWER STATION
Travis Lovell

Media: Platinum/Palladium over Pigment
Size: 16”x20”
Price: $600

Process:
The process used here is a Chlorophyll over Platinum/Palladium print. The aspidistra leaf was exposed for three days in direct contact with a positive transparency. The exposed leaf is boiled and then soaked in copper sulfate. Then sealed with renaissance wax. The exposed and processed leaf is then attached to a platinum/palladium print of the same image with efforts to align the two exposures with each other.


Bio:
Travis Lovell received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from Brigham Young University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography through Maine Media College. He started teaching photography at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University as an adjunct in 2003. He is now an associate professor of photography and Department Chair for the Department of Art & Design at Utah Valley University.


Artist Statement:
When I photograph, I strive to achieve a level of order in a world of apparent disorder. Simple yet sophisticated compositions give me, as a viewer, a sense of comfort and confidence that there is some order and logic in the world; that the world is not wholly filled with chaos and unpredictability. I prefer to spend a lot of time with my subjects, hoping to find greater meaning or appreciation that can be subsequently captured and shared. The methods in which I print are also time intensive and hands on for similar reasons. One of the beauties of the photographic medium is that it can provide a platform where the practitioner and the viewer can question their interpretation of what they think they see. The photograph can become the conversation piece around which ideas are formulated and discussed.
The history and tradition of photography are embraced in both my own work and in my teaching. In fact, I have striven to combine my own creative work and my teaching more overtly. I believe photography is a form of teaching. It is the ability to critically analyze the world and translate observations so that others may appreciate or learn from the efforts.