This is an edited scan of a Pierrot doll that I was given as a child in the 80's. Pierrot had a renaissance during this time, in keeping with the New Romantic wave where make up, frills and androgeny were the order of the day.

Originally a character from the 17th century Commedia dell'Arte, Pierrot was cast as the naive and trusting fool. He was often the butt of jokes and usually had his heart broken by his love interest Columbine, who would leave him for Harlequin. His role shape shifted over the years, gaining sympathy and becoming poeticized. He became an icon for artists who resonated with his sensitive soul and alienation from society. This melancholic revolutionary has inspired many, including heavyweights like Renoir, Picasso and Dali to name a few.

I don't think my doll topped my list of favourite Xmas presents that year, but I did hold onto it. There is afterall something enchanting about Pierrot...

Scanning with a dark background has been a personal preference so far because of the way it isolates and highlights the object. This along with the shallow depth of field of the scanner, produces a lovely ethereal effect.

Scanner art came to my attention some years ago after seeing a couple of photography exhibitions in Brighton. 

I particularly loved artwork by Denis Doran (http://www.cranekalmanbrighton.com/exhibitions/found) and it was seeing his work that sparked my initial interest. His 'Common Ground' exhibition uses scans of allotment land combined with other photographic elements to create beautiful composite images.

At the time the word scanning was somehow scary and seemed to paralyse my technophobe mind. It turns out it is actually a very simple process involving a flatbed scanner and whatever you want to try scanning. However it does produce hit or miss results. I've been using my old but trusty Lexmark 3 in 1 and then editing in photoshop afterwards, but newer models of flatbed scanners will have more capabilities.

It can take some patience obtaining the perfect arrangement, and sometimes things just don't translate well when scanned (this is the hit or miss part). Experimentation is the best way to find out what works and to trigger the imagination.

For more information on how to go about it and to see work by other scannography artists, take a look at  http://www.scannography.org .

Two more floral experiments by myself... 

Clare x

I thought it about time to make use of my piece of cyberspace and start the new year with a photo blog (as with all New Year intentions, let's see how long it lasts!).

At the end of last year I started experimenting with scanner art, sometimes known as scanography or scantography (a bit more sparse!). So my first offerings will be the results of this scanfoolery.

Happy New Year!

Clare x

Velveteen 1

Velveteen 2

Velveteen 3