JP Paul
The Measure
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Here are eight images from JP Paul's Compromised series. He writes, "The Compromised series began as a study of the journeys of three women who were struggling through potentially terminal illnesses. Two survived and prospered; nevertheless their lives were changed forever. The series was subsequently expanded to take a broader look at modern society's pressures for perfection based on external stereotypes (competitive men & women, corporate profiling, social networking and the glamour/fashion industry.) The search for acceptable beauty / romance / love becomes entrapment, causing tension and despair rather than liberation or unbridled joy. As time passes, perceived goals change and become even more difficult to attain."These images combine manipulated photography, scanned natural and self-made elements, computer-based drawings and montage work in Photoshop. They are painterly and three-dimensional, the result in part of a "wash" effect, attained, it would seem, by layering the basic image with a scan of hand-painted panes of glass.
The artist says, "In defense against the marginalization of digitally-produced art throughout much of the 'fine-art industry,' I still tend to use the computer to emulate traditional art tools and natural methods, but as the genre gains respect I too am becoming less inhibited about my style and tool selection. The computer remains my conduit, the darkroom, the palette and the brushes but most importantly it is the workspace where all visions and concepts can be carefully nurtured and enhanced due to the flexibility, power and relative low cost of digital platforms compared to the material/studio costs of traditional methods...I consider myself a visual communicator who happens to work digitally by choice. I learned the trade through traditional darkroom and painting studios and consider that background to be the major reason why I could migrate successfully to computers . .. but I'd never go back!"
JP Paul is based in Montevideo, Uruguay.