Itek-Craig14
© 1991 Craig Ashby
Photograph
10″ x 10″

Number fourteen in the Itek series goes all ghostly as the self-portrait of me, Craig Ashby, becomes unrecognizable. The fingers across my forehead blurring into smoke. The portion of the photograph beneath my chin in perfect focus. It’s a strange image.

I can clearly see that I had attached a positive to this image, but I neither remember that positive nor know why it’s missing. Just like the first one in this series was stolen, I wonder how many of these were created and if they still exist at all.

It saddens me to think of all the pieces I have lost. Things I should have held onto better and longer. But at the same time, I sometimes feel the need to purge and let everything go. Knowing that it’s just ephemera.

There is something “right now” in this image. The watery fingers and missing face evoke current horror film clichés. It leaves a big question mark over the whole image. Which really makes me love it all the more.

The contrast between that weird blurry set of hands and the lovely shapes my t-shirt make are beautiful. Now I just wish I knew where my face went.