s y n e c d o c h e  
  s    t    u    d    i    o     p h o t o g r a p h s  b y  K i m  K a u f f m a n
     





 

  Confluence 1 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman   Confluence 2 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman   Confluence 3 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman
Confluence 4 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman   Confluence 5 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman   Confluence 6 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman  
  Confluence 7 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman   Confluence 8 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman   Confluence 9 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman
Confluence 10 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman   Confluence 11 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman   Confluence 12 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman  
  Confluence 13 from photo series by photographer Kim Kauffman    
         

c  o  n  f  l  u  e  n  c  e 

A flowing together of two or more streams.

The idea of confluence has been present in much of my past work as I have explored the juncture of the natural world and the human-made world through the spaces I create – my home, gardens and imaginings (see “Excerpts”, “Potpourri” and “Collaborations”). Living a life that honors the natural space just outside my door is an element of much of my photography as the images become two-dimensional representations of my life. All work is autobiography, in some way.

My way of seeing – the choices I make when composing a photograph, designing a garden, arranging my living space – is rooted in the formal aspects of organizing visual information colored by my personal taste. On one hand, I am fascinated and challenged by complexity, creating highly detailed visual tableaux. This is quite apparent in my gardens; the newcomer is often overwhelmed at the mass of visual information to take in but is able to comprehend it over time. On the other hand, I am drawn to simplicity as it distills to essentials the visual cues that allow us to process and understand what is before us (see “Abstracts”, “Illumitones”). Complexity is a lesson in finding coherence rather than confusion. Simplicity is a lesson in finding all that is necessary from little.

In “Confluence” I employ visual simplicity to convey the bones of the meeting of the natural world and the human-created world. These works are the joining of my vibrantly colored and richly detailed “Florilegium” botanical images with the more monochromatic, nonrepresentational forms of “Illumitones”. I believe that nature provides us ideal models of form and design from which to learn and draw inspiration, so this is a natural pairing.

 
  volume 1


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