Large Signed Original Mixed Media Photographic Painting. A massive photograph of a woman in an open-backed dress being held from behind by someone, with only their midsections visible, embellished with paint and other elements to create depth and dimension. Signed indistinctly and dated 2001 bottom right. Tag with information from San Francisco printer on the back. 

Overall: 51 1/4 X 72 in. 

Sight: 38 1/4 X 58 3/4 in. 

#3022 . 

The transformation of photography from an analog medium relying on chemically developed light-sensitive emulsions to one using digital technologies for image capture and storage began in the late 1980s with the introduction of the first consumer digital cameras. In 1990 a program for adjusting and manipulating digital image files appeared named Adobe Photoshop. Conceived as an extension of the conventional darkroom, the program adopted many of the traditional tools of black-and-white film photography but let photographers go even further, as well as providing the crucial ability to undo mistakes that would have been permanent with physical alterations. By giving photographers the ability to easily change the structure of an image, and even its contents, it called into question long-held assumptions about photographic veracity or documentary “truth value.” It changed the very nature of the medium, to the point that “photoshopping” has entered the public vernacular as a catch-all term for manipulating images, no matter what program is used. Digital photography’s full impact was not felt until the first decade of the new century. Even in 2001 the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. were photographed primarily with film cameras. But because digital images could be transmitted and edited much more quickly, by decade’s end nearly all newspapers and magazines had transitioned to a digital workflow process, and their photographers were using digital cameras designed for professionals. Many artists using photography as their medium developed creative approaches that took advantage of the seamless mutability of digitally altered images, extending a long history of photographic collage, double printing, and other pre-digital forms of manipulation. As the quality of images improved, so did experimentation, and as early as the adoption of 35 mm film by filmmakers the ability to create oversized versions of pictures appeared. This could be used to create specific effects, such as the oversized image of the presidential hopeful in “Citizen Kane” to set the mood and convey a sense of power. Today, even amateur portrait photographers can take advantage of large printers to provide massive images to clients to celebrate an event or simply adorn their wall.