Itek-Craig03
© 1991 Craig Ashby
Photograph
10″ x 8″

Here is the third image of me, Craig Ashby. A great black and white profile view. Even if it does make my face and head look gigantic.

When I started taking these, I was drawn to the high contrast black and white images the Itek camera was creating. I can’t remember if there was a sheet of some halftone on the platen behind my head or it was the camera creating those dot patterns. I think it was a sheet they put over flat continuous tone photographs to prepare them for lithographic printing. But these are over 20 years old, so forgive my spotty memory.

Even though the job itself was fraught with social peril, I really got the most out of that job. I remember doing large-scale Husqvarna chainsaw photocopied collages. Big images of pressed daisies from my days at Governor’s School. Tons of mixtapes and their corresponding covers. Numerous paintings of friends I missed dearly.

These are the reasons why I posted this series at this point chronologically within the blog. This is a formative experience that I have lugged about with me for many years. It hints at everything I am. It screams of things to come. It speaks of my honest and individual inner voice.