John Charbonneau

My latest series portrays birdmen seen in a wide range of situations and settings. Human bodies seamlessly combined with bird heads populate a photographically clear dream world. While the bodies establish the figure’s human nature, the bird head suggests a freedom from human limitations. The images frequently have a humorous aspect and often resonate symbolically. The characters take on a mysterious dimension and mythic character. The surprising result is an opening to associate new possibilities, to re-imagine and manipulate iconic imagery.

Each piece is a seamless montage comprised of elements which I’ve digitally created, several to many image segments from my photographs and scanned items such as textural features. I generally start with three or four images as the base elements for a new composition. Then, as the work evolves, I incorporate others. To create a playfully surreal outcome, I employ various image making strategies, including transformation, substitution, and disruption of scale. The direction of the work takes on a life of it’s own, which I could not have predicted at the outset, and all outcomes are subject to further changes. Along the way, I make limited edition prints on fine art papers using archival pigment inks.