Andrew Rogers
You really have to see them in person. These images are stored in nicely worn, old photo album binders. There is not a computer or scanner in the house on a hillside in the Nantahala Gorge where he lives. Andrew tells stories about the images that make them even more powerful than they already are.
These hand-crafted image manipulations prove to be more striking than the usual digital image works that pervade our experience of artistic photography. Each piece consists of two or more layered photographic prints. Think of all the things you do in Photoshop. Then imagine someone who has never used it before, performing tasks like cut and paste, creating a selection, clipping paths, working in layers, desaturating, dodging and pinching. He works in a small niche, a confined space he is not aware of - only seeing the endless possibilities of his approach.
Overall, the effect is surreal, but more subtle than just 'surreal': stark impossibilities go under the radar just until your attention wanes, and in that instant your belief is suspended between the real and the unreal as you discover what you've been missing all along.
You can explore the digital versions that I scanned here. It's a very small sampling of his collection. Really, I think you should visit the Nantahala Gorge, stop at the outdoor center and ask for Andrew. Then you can experience his work in context and learn about his approach.
