24Hour '08

How does one shoot photographs for 24 hours straight? This was the challenge I gave myself when I was asked to be part of the 24Hour '08 show. The premise for the show was to display a body of artwork created in a 24 hour time period.

The answer to my question came when I remembered one of my favorite beginning photography assignments; take photographs of intangible words, such as happy and loud. I took this concept and modified it a bit. I asked everyone else participating in this art-a-thon to write single words on slips of paper. I then placed all the slips in a container. To make sure I didn’t look ahead or cheat, the container of words was kept on the third floor of the art building with everyone else. I would draw out one slip and try to interpret the word in the studio, taking only one photograph of my interpretation. The studio is in the basement of the art building. Once shot, I would come back up stairs and select another slip. To further challenge myself, I had only one roll of 36 exposure transparency film. This way I could only take one shot of each interpretation. If it came out, it came out. There were no re-dos. I was also being optimistic that I could shoot more than 24 images.

I managed to stay awake for 20 of the 24 hours and shoot 28 of the words. I don't remember taking several of the images.