The Beauty of Nature, Inc. Artist's Statement

 

A love for and appreciation of the creative artistry found in nature motivate my work.  I enjoy discovering the incredible beauty and details of butterflies, other insects, and spiders through close-up photography, as well as the infinite range of designs in the grain of special wood, and presenting them for others to appreciate.   

At first glance, my artwork appears to be a photograph with an oversized frame around it.  But, what would normally be thought of as the trim is an equal partner with the photograph.  The grain patterns, colors, and richness of natural wood are amazing by themselves, and butterflies are stunning alone, but when the two are brought together, the alliance forms a work of art.  The relationship between the frame and photograph brings out details in each that may, otherwise, have gone unnoticed.  Ornamentation on the butterfly may mimic grain designs in the wood – colors, shading, backgrounds, and the appearance of textures may also relate. 

My photographs are of living creatures taken in their natural habitats.  No shots are setup and none of my subjects have been manipulated in any way.  In some of the pictures, the tongue of the butterfly can be seen as it drinks nectar from a flower or water from a damp spot.  When they are busy drinking, it gives me more time to take the picture.   

I build the frames using unique real wood veneers.  The wood is specially arranged and permanently glued to a 3/4”-thick core.  Many of the veneers have a three-dimensional appearance because of direction changes in the grain.  A clear Tung oil finish has been applied to seal the wood and bring out the natural colors.  Most of the frames are approximately 31” x 23”. 

The framed photographs have been digitally printed with archival ink and paper, and will resist fading for over 80 years, if kept out of direct sunlight.  They are protected with non-glare glass.  The size of the framed photographs range from  9” x 12” to 13" x 17".  All of the pieces presently displayed on this website have 13" x 17" photographs.

The Close-up Collection (coming soon) will include images taken from 1X - 5X magnification.  This means that at 1X an uncropped photo represents an area that is approximately 1 1/2" wide and 1" high (the size of my camera's image sensor).  At 2X an uncropped photo represents and area that is approximately 3/4" wide and 1/2" high.    Most of the images are uncropped.  To get these pictures, I usually have to be from 1" to 3" away from the subject.  I find it to be a very enjoyable challenge.  All of the images in the Close-up collection have been taken as 16.7 megapixel RAW images with a Canon 1Ds Mark II camera and a Canon MP-E 65mm lens. 

I have been taking butterfly pictures since 1973 and have had my own custom woodworking business since 1978.  But, the idea for bringing the two together did not unfold until July 2001.    The close-up photography was started in March, 2005.

Steve Graser

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