How does one add dimension to photographs? In Façade, It is answered by converting an image to a photo-relief where thickness replaces the grayscale, or brightness, in the photograph. This photo relief is again converted back to grayscale when backlit. The thinner areas allow light to penetrate and appear brighter, while the thicker areas obscure the light, appearing darker. Video adds the dimension of time to photography, but Façade adds the dimension of physical texture. Without a backlight, the photo relief becomes sculptural, suggesting new possibilities for interpretation. What we feel or see when we look at the image has changed, since now we can literally feel the depth of a photograph.
The histogram, in photography, relays information about the dynamic range of lights, mid-tones, and darks. Once the image is translated through the histogram into a photo-relief, it is dependent on a light source to recreate a dynamic range, a live, fluctuating histogram. The interpretation of the piece changes once the image is revealed through a backlight. This is exactly what Façade aims to reveal: the way a two-dimensional photograph translates into a three-dimensional representation. The relief that these three-dimensional photographs sculpt contains their own unique modular designs that evoke the sense of touch and questions how this opens up new ideas concerning semiotics. In the end, what do we see? Do we see an actual photograph, or are we captivated by the mountains that create the image?
