Blog of Photographer and Artist, Peter Koval.

Open Heart Surgery Survivors

An ongoing series of portraits of survivors of open heart surgery. The images are taken naturally, with no makeup or posing direction. Some people show their vulnerability while others show a empowerment.

can·na·bis  -    [kan-uh-bis]  -  noun

1. the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa.
2. the flowering tops of the plant.
3. any of the various parts of the plant from which hashish, marijuana, bhang, and similar drugs are prepared.

Beautiful fine art nude images of the female form, with transgender model Geena Rocero.  I believe beauty is culturally universal.  When that context shifts the viewer often has to analyze their own conditioned stereotypes and project a new awareness and meaning.

Ceramic guns, golden carrots, and flower tags, encased in 8  handmade glass cabinets, with branches below.  Above each gun case is a suspended gold gilded ceramic carrot.  Gun cases are surrounded by large van dyke process prints on 100% rag paper. Printed images include a hand reaching for a phone, a wine glass falling off a table, and severed carrots.

Men awaiting physical exams, before enlisting into the military.  Found footage collaged, and reconstructed as a large van dyke process print, on 100% rag paper.  Approximately 60" x 60".

Large format work on paper.  Approximately 140" x 60" on one sheet of 100% rag paper.

Engineers plays with the notion of the semantic coding of the word engineer and transcends the imagery through gender power, and ultimately how power structures in society are engineered by a controlling force. In this example, it is male mythology.  The train engineer is teaching the boy 'what it takes' to be an engineer in gender politics.  The image on the right is a stereotype of the 'American Dream'.  The women in the kitchen cook the meals, while the men look at each other fraternally, yet as if they are in agreement of their roles.

Engineers is screen printed on the left half, and the right half is a large van dyke photographic process on rag paper.

Artists Life is approximately 40" x 30" created on 100% rag paper.

Painted with real Blood in four passes.  The frame image is screen printed with gold ink.

Instinct is a van dyke photographic process work on paper, incorporating real blood, and screen printed with oil based inks.

Approximately 120" x 45" on 100% rag paper.

Art Imitating Life is a large format work on paper, approximately 80" x 50" on 100% rag paper.

The work utilizes screen printed imagery with oil based inks over real blood juxtaposed next to a fetus image printed with the van dyke photographic process.

The original installation also included 2 bails of straw attached underneath the framed work.