Dictators are like so.. 1989

There is only one course of action for the United States in regards to Egypt -- Call for elections.

You can do it, Obama, support democracy for real in the middle east.

New Statement for Spirit Series (now named The Ubiquity of the Spirit)

The project is evolving for me and I've just re-written my artist statement (again).


The Ubiquity of The Spirit is a photographic project that uses conventional photographic methods in order to present the technically invisible entity called the “soul.”

In a world increasingly defined by Hyperreality, and over-commodified realities, individuals often complain of an emptiness, of alienation from authenticity. But each one of us of course maintains an inner self. As a personal and theoretical investigation, I have set out to photograph this soul, the spirit, a non-corporeal body, as it travels along this or other planes of existence. I find that the process of creating these photographs involves a degree of performance, a component I am working to accentuate as the project progresses. The final prints, to be completed in editions at 30x40 and 20x30 inches, will become Hyperreal objects depicting a simulated reality working to place a deeper, but hidden reality, onto film.

Photography itself is a key ingredient in most depictions of simulated reality. In The Ubiquity of The Spirit series, I photograph an inauthentic object -- a human being performing as a model, in order to represent the inner existence of the human being. Throughout much of human history this inner existence has been considered at least as important, if not more so, than the external appearance presented to the material world. In contemporary American/Western/Globalized civilization this condition has been reversed. However, the inner existence remains.

In these photographs the soul is represented by one or more figures photographed during long exposures. Originally inspired by Nature while completing a residency at Grand Canyon National Park, I photographed the Spirits in landscape. I am now also working within the more modified urban environment.

Inauspicious Beginnings?

Yikes, Kevin found this video last night, I think it is from last week and it was featured — sans audio — on weather.com.

We are probably beginning a long drive back to New York from Colorado. I hope we arrive unscathed.

Welcome to the City, Spirit Girl - Works in progress

© 2011 bridget batch

Is it ok to post images that aren't necessarily finished? I know you're supposed to "put your best foot forward" and all of that, but is it really true that curators and art directors cannot envision that something can be unfinished, and yet still worth seeing? If you're reading this, and you have an opinion about this, please weigh in. This is my blog, not my portfolio site. I am not applying for a grant with the blog.

In the past I have been very, very intimidated by the amount of work out there, about just how tough the competition is. Late in 2010 I had a sudden realization that may be changing my life.

At this point in human history, it's actually amazing that there can be so many humans out there devoting significant periods of time to making art. Has that ever been possible before? Not since the hunter gatherer era, I would think. The world has never been as extensively middle class as right now. And even 120 years ago, middle class included the category of spending an entire day on sewing an apron or churning butter. Art is a luxury in many ways (while remaining a necessity in others). But look, we have an amazing global dialogue occurring, in which thousands of people are consistently making excellent work thinking about personal and sociological issues. Just that occurring is nearly a miracle. All of this positive energy and beautiful work can only be pushing the dialogue that is human culture forward.

I like this photograph, but I don't think I have it quite right. Unfortunately, I can't really reshoot it, snow has melted here in Boulder and we are leaving tomorrow. I think the nasty snow is an important component, I don't think dirty brown grass will make the image better. Of course, I could reshoot the model (me) and photoshop me in, I suppose. But that's not going to work so well either. The series may seem easy to manufacture in Photoshop but it's not. The see-through Spirit has to be in the setting, because, well, you can see what is behind it.

But I like the confrontation with Safeway, I enjoy the line of confusion between artistic moodiness and straightforward shot of the supermarket. My Spirits are growing interested in the human part of the world that they don't quite live in. I can think of a few things I can do to make the photograph better, push it a little further. But I wanted to post it as is now, and consider the process.

Kevin says, "There is no such thing as a reshoot." He may have gotten that from somewhere else. He's absolutely right. With photography, especially digital photography, it is so tantalizing to think, "well, if I go home and check this out on the computer and don't like it, I can always come back." But that never works. Time will slip away, conditions will change. I had no intention of reshooting this, but sometimes, especially when working in subzero cold, alone, at 2am, it is difficult notice everything in the little viewfinder. It's hard enough to just focus in the right spot. When photographing in parking lots, there's the additional concern that security will throw you out before you finish doing anything.

I photographed in nature right before this and although I know better, standing alone at night in the country is terrifying. Even at 10 degrees below zero on a night almost devoid of traffic, I still fought a terror of the nameless man (Bob from Twin Peaks?) who will crash out of the woods and descend upon me.

And now, the confrontation with Safeway is entering the world, well, the online one. I want her out there, I want it all out there. The global cacophony is inviting, just as the consumerist clamor is pulling this Spirit towards the world of pretty packaging.

Artists Wanted

I'm not really sure what to think of this group, Artist's Wanted. Their entrance fees are outrageous and their design aesthetic glistens with a little too much commercial sheen.

But they keep lavishing great awards on quite deserving artists. Every artist they have selected creates interesting work, and the judges themselves are notable. I am impressed with the quality.

What are artists to do? Boycott paying application fees? Boycott art world initiatives remotely stinking of commercialism (because, you know, galleries don't try to make money)? Are the only artists who can get noticed the ones who are good at personally approaching strangers? I am very bad at that.

Or worse, if you're an artist and you haven't been noticed by a certain point in your life, should you just give up?

Well... I say no! And while you are contemplating all of this, check out this online portfolio of my Spirit photographs that I have submitted to them at http://www.artistswanted.org/bridgetbatch, and please, do rate it! Even if you don't like it (sniff, sniff).

Thank you.

HAPPY 2011

© 2010 bridget batch

I love New Year's. I am a terminal optimist (well, sometimes, i am bi-polar about this). I believe in the promises of redemption, of turning things around, of finally making my life the way I want it. If I were slightly less cynical I'd probably make an easy mark for every self-help racket in the world.

For 2011, a wish for peace and good health and progress to everyone in the world. -- bridget