There has been a lot of controversy surrounding enhancing photos lately, but artist Alana Dee Haynes has fully embraced alterations. She finds that her patterns add a message to photographs. She changes what we see, steering the story of that photograph. Her playful yet provocative drawings give new meaning to the doodles in the side of our notebooks.

In an article in Installation Magazine, she explains that her fascination with hands drove the focus of this piece, “Clasp.” She says, “My hands are tools that execute my mental and visual expression… I love the emotional significance, and how easy it is to form symbols with hands. Interlocking fingers have inspired many of my illustrations.” The contrasting patterns take us beyond a single view of the photographer.

In the piece “Growing Up”, Hayes jots down her feelings of the photo within its subject. The pattern collects in the curves of the face and merges as if it was always a part of the whole. With her black additions on the soft backdrop, she produces a balance in the photo. In Installation Magazine, Hayes says, “This image by Eric Nehr served as the perfect photograph for my illustrations. The child’s pale skin with slight freckles were so beautiful, they formed the cellular shapes before I drew anything. This pattern has always been a meditative process for me, a peaceful feeling comes over me, and the pen connects directly to my thoughts.”

In The Wild Magizine, Hanyes explains her work and how it relates to her love life. “Being able to speak without words. So much of my art is silent but informative, and I like my people the same way. I love people like I love my art.”

The idea behind her photographs was not to add something to them, but to enhance them. In RAW Artists, she says, “I realized I wanted so much more from each image. When I looked at my photographs, I was seeing patterns and faces on them; as I have seen in life ever since I can remember.”

Hanyes opens a new avenue for artists to try and viewers to admire. This artistic style gives an outlet for a deeper story from each picture it complements. Could complementary art be a new direction for artists? Considering other enhancements like embroidered photographs, it seems possible. This could very well grace the art categories we know and love sometime soon.

 

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