Dan Piech's Concrete Canvas series captures the accidental beauty that serendipitously occurs when the concrete beneath New Yorkers' feet is inadvertently graced by spilled paint, fallen debris, expanding cracks, chemical stains, and other delightful visual elements. An avid runner, Piech has spent over three years traversing every single Manhattan street in search of these overlooked "artworks" that have become part of the fabric of the city.
As the founder of the VAST artist collective, Piech uses advanced imaging techniques and equipment to create unprecedented gigapixel-quality photographs that capture every intricate detail of these ephemeral designs. The exceptionally high resolution photographs are then printed in large formats, resulting in impeccably precise physical replicas of the walkways.
Each Concrete Canvas piece embodies the unique soul of New York and challenges us to find beauty in the overlooked, the accidental, the minuscule, and the transient... read more
You might say that this close-up examination of the Northwest Lady Fern grew organically. It was during a early summer hike through a temperate rainforest that I had the whim to collect a handful of leaves. It was the time of year when the forest's understory is exploding with new life, and infinite shades of green are virtually leaping up from the soil.
After some early experiments, I found fascinating results when the leaves were photographed on a light-table with specialty macro lenses. Eventually, the concept called for an exploration into the finest detail available and I employed the new 100 Megapixel Hasselblad H6D-100c Medium Format Camera with the incredibly sharp 120mm macro lens. Compositing multiple frames from what is already one of the three highest resolution cameras available, I was able to create images which both display the leaves as seen at a glance, and, when examined closely, reveal patterns of intricate detail and wonderful design. To this day, I am no longer able to walk through a forest without turning over at least one new leaf... read more