This is a digital photo-collage from 1998. It's based on the cover of a men's adventure magazine from the 1960's (see below). On one level, I suppose I was just attracted to the obvious little joke in the juxtaposition of the word "life" with the rifle the male figure was holding, and the pathos of the deadpan look on the deer in the background. One I started restaging the image, using toys and railroad model set pieces, I started to enjoy the phoniness and staginess that crept in - or maybe "worsened" is a better word.
Here's a couple of little tech-y notes: the digital camera I was using then - I had it for my business at the time - was a "Sony Catseye", which was only capable of capturing one megapixel (versus twelve or fifteen for today's cheapie consumer cameras) - and cost $15,000! To get any sort of detail, I had to shoot the image in little sections and stitch them all together later on the computer. The body of the figure I used was a 1960's G.I. Joe, and he's on Johnny West's horse, same vintage.
Click on the images to see bigger versions.
