All a Blur: Photographs from the Infinity Series [Hardcover]

Over the last 25 years, Bill Armstrong has pioneered the unique approach of blurring appropriated images—a medium at the intersection of photography, painting and collage. 

All a Blurpresents some 300 pulsating color images that offer alternate visions of history, religion and philosophy. Armstrong’s photographs range from mysterious falling figures sourced from the Renaissance to vibrating color spheres akin to Buddhist mandalas. He transforms these into hypnotic visual objects in a volume that is both aesthetically rewarding and a potential pathway to heightened awareness.

CNColor had never been thematized in photography, that is, made the subject of optical, perceptual and emotional investigation as Albers had done in paintinguntil Armstrong made it an end in itself.Blur is one of those aspects of photography that can serve as a barometer of cultural and aesthetic history, and Armstrong has been the photographer most deeply engaged with exploring its implications, and not merely perceptual ones.Armstrongs exhibitions have dramatically expanded the repertoire of arrested gazing and encouraged viewers to use the photographs in unexpected ways: as meditational instruments, as sublime forms of nothing, and as pathways to heightened awareness.

“Over the last 25 years, Bill Armstrong has pioneered the unique approach of blurring appropriated images—a medium at the intersection of photography, painting and collage. All a Blur presents some 300 pulsating color images that offer alternate visions of history, religion, and identity.  Armstrong’s mysterious and poetic photographs range from falling figures sourced from the Renaissance to vibrating color spheres akin to Buddhist mandalas—all transformed into hypnotic visual objects. 

Armstrong foregrounds qualities that photographers have been attempting to exploit since the early twentieth century: focus and colƒ