Attached Link: http://www.daneldon.org/

Ok not my usual, and maybe not so great, but needed to do a couple of photographic images incorporating text into them. This was the first.... I was inspired by the book "The Journey Is the Destination; The Journals of Dan Eldon" a 22 year old photojournalist who was beaten to death during a riot in Kenya....

His journals are full of photographic collages and are just amazing.

For the first image in the assignment, I decided to concentrate on my struggle with my addiction to cigarettes, incorporating my own photographs and words into something that makes sense.....

Critiques welcome on this.....

Oh and the link for those who may be interested in seeing some of Dan Eldon's work.....

Message edited on: 03/07/2005 12:26

Delighted Smokers?

It's a FANTASTIC collage, michelle, and i see you put a lot of thought and effort into making it. I wish i could make one this great!!!! i hope it's ok if i tell you my impressions. i see this 2 ways. 1. it's a dartboard with your thoughts. hitting the bull's eye with the cigarette represents precision, accuracy, and aiming at that which would produce the highest payoff. perhaps this is a vision of your wish to finally one day hit the bull's eye and beat your addiction? 2. it's a CD. your words represent the lyrics which would explain your struggle with your addiction. perhaps those words would give us insight into whether or not the word "delighted" was meant to be ironic or not. i know some people who hate everything about smoking; they just do it because they're addicted. Others do find pleasure in it. The title of the song is Delighted Smokers, and perhaps your lyrics talk about this irony of how something so addictive & harmful could be pleasurable. i hope i understood what you were trying to say with your collage. thanks so much for that link. i took a peek and loved what i saw. i will go back and study his collage closer. i spend a long time looking at images, and each one requires much time to try to understand the message. i also want to study his technique. i like it a lot! hugz sheila

Sheila you are so perceptive.... it is indeed a target... and a goal to reach. I hate it (smoking) and love it at the same time..... Delighted Smokers is meant to be ironic (actually taken from a 1938 tobacco advertisement from some antique papers I have collected)... the words basically just random thoughts about my smoking....how comforting it is, yet also how it's like a bad friend that stabs you in the back.... etc. etc....

I'm glad you like it.....

And I made a mistake about Dan Eldon, he was killed in Somalia not Kenya.... maybe Kenya is where he grew up, at least I know he grew up in Africa.

Message edited on: 03/07/2005 17:13

A cool collage Chelle, it just reminded me that I need to empty my ashtray! sigh I would like to quit too, but now is not the time, too much stress... A "friend" we would both be better off without. Brenda :)

Very powerful and like you say ironic too, I think it is great. If I may be so bold, and maybe I shouldnt critique your work, as I can do no better myself. For me the selection around the centre butt is a little distracting. If this is deliberate, and I tend to think it is, then sorry for being picky. Love the skull, wouldnt be quit you without it. LP

Mmmmm..... no LP I was wondering about that myself..... thanks for pointing it out.... I used wall paper paste to put this all together. I'll see if I can remove the butt, get all the white cut off..... Thank you it really helps!!

Ooh I have missed the point a little. So they are all photos (prints) of yours that you have cut out manually? That is more difficult, I have done some of this sort of thing in the past (tiny scissors and or a craft knife essential) I assumed that it was put together with PS, which is why I was so suppressed at the selection. As the saying goes, to assume will make an ASS out of U and ME Am I allowed to say that here? Oops too late. Anyway glad we were thinking along the same lines.

real cut & paste!!!!!!!!! how kewl is that!! i luv it 'chelle! combining photo & writing, collage is really neat... still waiting for one of Edon's book to load... the covers look really interesting! Sheila did well in the interpretation i think... such an ugly habit, puff, puff... a good way to exorcise the demons of slow death & suicide... gotta luv the skull smoking :] ah... it's loaded... yes! i do luv this stuff! use to do a lot of snip & glue as a kid... wonderful link... sad he died :( thanks for sharing one of your assignments? ...you have nice handwriting too... i have no suggestions as i like it just as it is! :]

i like this collage style. almost it reminds me on Peter Beard. !!!!!!!!!! #:O) !!!!!!!!!!!!

My addiction too. The only one I have left. Gave up the drinking (and stuff) over 14 years ago. That was easy compared to the smoking thing. Good Job Michelle! Magick Michael

Yup an assignment for school cyn..... the second image (not shown) is more me.... just plain ol' straight photography, but I had fun with this one. Though I wracked my brains for a week trying to come up with something that worked....

Couldn't get the ciggie off.... that wallpaper paste works well!... reprinted, cut using my little craft blade to cut all the white off, glued it on top of the other without too much difficulty, and it looks much better now! I'd rescan to show the difference but the original is 11X11 and it was a pain ...... Thanks to all.... squeezes Peter Beard? Will have to google for him, now I'm interested in seeing his work. Micheal I've quit, restarted, quit, restarted.... can't stand it......

Message edited on: 03/07/2005 19:14

I really feel this hits home.Great. I actually grabbed it and started smudging out that white around butt,to see if it lookd more effective. It does look ok,but then I thought that when I made collages using real paper cut outs those were a big part of the design.I'd keep it like that. Though it only takes a few seconds to remove the white. Down to 4-5 a day now.

Actual cut and paste, i'm impressed. I'm glad to see you have posted this wonderfull piece of work after your comments on my entry to the monthly challenge. I think it's great when a single piece of work (this and others) posted on the internet can cause so much controversy. Steve P.S. Nice work on the skull....

Very nice job! Great message.

ah, yes the dreaded nicotine addiction...I try and convince myself everyday that I can live without them...but they are my crutch I suppose. I hate them...I hate that I'm addicted to them and can't let them go no matter how determined I may seem to be....maybe that's the problem...I'm really not determined at all because in this small part of my brain, I love them...the good ole love/hate relationship. I sit here with one hanging from my lips waiting/begging to be lit. ~sigh~ Then I light it. What you've done is very creative Michelle and an amazing form of expression. Nothing I could add that hasn't already been said...but I feel you and I'm there.