exposure_logo

>> Christine Collins
>> Keiko Hiromi
>> Dave Jordano
>> Thomas Ladd
>> William Rugen
>> Bryan Schutmaat
>> Tara Sellios
>> Frank Ward

>> EXPOSURE 2013

William Rugen
New Botanicals

Click here to visit the artist's website >>

rugen
William Rugen, Bleeding Heart 'Gold Heart' from the series New Botanicals,
Dicentra spectabilis, Archival Pigment Print, 2012.

Artist Statement
The nucleus for this series is a love for the botanical prints of the 18th and 19th centuries. There is a great cross-pollination of art and biology in those prints that I wanted to somehow capture. I see my images as both an homage and graphical update to those prints.

I want to find a balance between the grace of the visible plant and the mechanics of its growth engine, the roots. I like the idea that this amazing object could not exist without the inelegant tangle that is just out of sight. It is a reminder that everything of beauty or value requires a certain amount of “ugliness” to come to fruition.

Artist Bio
Born in Marquette, Michigan, William Rugen spent twenty years working as a fisheries oceanographer. After making a clean break in 2007, he has made a living as a photo assistant, producer, and photographer, most recently with Motofish Images in Seattle. In 2008 he hit the road with three cameras, one month of free time, and absolutely no plans other than to stay off the interstate and avoid chain restaurants and motels. This trip was the impetus of his first fine art project, Western Dioramas, a continuing survey of the American West. Since then William has pursued a wide variety of fine art projects, most of which were conceived while on the road working on Western Dioramas. The look and process for each project is driven by the subject matter with the use of color and strong graphic elements being the only common thread. All projects are open-ended and hopefully never will be finished.