Ripped off 2007

Sara Molano possesses a unique personal style. I have attempted to emulate Sara's style and capture the essence of her work which appears simple at first glance, but which, in my opinion, is more complex than meets the eye and strikes a deeper and more personal chord within.

When a mauve cone flower (echinacea) with a double head appeared in my garden, I was immediately drawn to it and made several photographs. The double-headed daisy lent itself to many of Sara's creations, portraits of women who are depicted in a similar fashion: twins, sisters, friends or two sides of the same person. According to her biography "her poster-like portraits of half faces are a representation of Le humanité, or Molano's own views of the half being.

In my opinion, Sara is present in all of her portraits, unmistakably visible in the eyes and mouth. (See photographs on her web page.)

It was difficult to decide upon which to use, so several versions based on Sara's originals: gemini, femme, amie and Elizabeth, are exhibited. Each version was created and manipulated in Photoshop for effects, using only the mouse for painting along with a selective application of filters. In the case of Elizabeth, the rips were based on two different photos, one of the daisy and one of chives.