Following on from Johnny Joo, I came across John Divola who is a contemporary visual artist. He currently lives and works in Riverside, CA. Divola works in photography, describing himself as exploring the landscape by looking for the edge between the abstract and the specific. I decided to focus in on the isolated houses book by him, originally released in 2000, as it gives a sense of humanity’s wastefulness which links to Johnny Joo’s work.

I believe this style of work links to the theme of secrecy and hidden identity as it would appear the owners are trying to escape all aspects of civilization and be on their own in their own world.

Despite the fact these images are rather raw, with little editing, i believe they are effective due to the simplicity of them and the conceptual ideas and meanings behind the images. I think that I can create some interesting images in this style with the use of varying camera settings and editing techniques.

This is an image taken by Micheal Steric, a famous Instagram user. It portrays some very similar connotations to which Divola’s work does however, Micheal Steric has insured to give his audience a more aesthetically pleasing image to visualize by using a series of editing techniques to make it as if the building is on fire and is surrounded by an unusual green glow. This links to both of my views on altered landscapes in the way that the photo has been altered digitally by the photographer but also the way the subject within the photo has been altered by humans and natural disasters. The vibrancy within this image helps to captivate the audience and ensure they appreciate and acknowledge the wastefulness in which humanity evokes.