I chose Eric Tomberlin's Eutrophication.
1. Because it's awesome.
2. Because he's awesome.
I was lucky enough to have him as a professor at UNCA and this was one of the photos that stood out to me when I first looked at his work.
In Eutrophication, what first struck me was the color, composition and ambiguity. It is in a square format, with rich bright greens with an almost monochrome palette. The lines are a combination of geometric and organic, clearly separating themselves of categories of man made and nature. Together they form a dynamic yet calm composition that helps the eye travel from one end to the other, and from man made context to natural context. Because of the chosen point of view it gives the viewer a very flat view, bringing into question the reality of what they are looking at. It requires the viewer to look closely into the details of the photo to figure out exactly what they are looking at, even though it still may not be completely clear. Critiquing the image with its name in mind gives it a very positive tone, and suggesting process as well.
The monochromatic color of greens, grays, black and white, really make this a strong cohesive piece. It alludes to nature, however with the bright, almost neon luminance to the greens, it seems slightly unnatural at the same time. Along with this unnatural feel man-made objects can be found small-scale in several areas of the piece. When seeing this, the greens in my mind went from a natural green, to a poisonous or polluted one, showing just how significant all of the details of the piece are.
It looks like an aerial map of a natural world and a seeping polluted at the same time. Because of this is alludes to a corresponding relationship between nature and man, showing both the beauty we find in nature as well as the beauty or beastly consequences that come from man within nature. The ambiguity of this photo of course may still allude to other things, which is another reason I find it successful. There are several ways to interpret this, due to angle, color, composition, and space. Every corner has information, keeping the eye moving and gaining more and more perspectives.
I personally think this piece is very successful. The main reason I think this is because it takes a moment and place in time that is often overlooked and ignored by others around. Most would see this as just a murky area of water that's been used as a trash can for a few things. But by placing himself and the camera where he did, he offers the audience a beautiful landscape out of a simple yet complex subject. It makes you look twice at something you normally wouldn't which I find very significant, and he does it through capturing the beauty of it.
