indistinguishable

I have been grappling with the idea of 'transparency' but the concept is being widened to include 'indistinguishable' and 'obscured'. Somehow it has opened new options. 

I borrowed books on Gerhard Richter from the library and have been immersed in research all day.  I especially concentrated on his work with photographs

• painting photographic images - ranging from blurred to photorealistic. Paul Moorhouse's book on Richter's Portraits discusses notions of objectivity and subjectivity; questions around reality and  actuality; influences from Duchamp and his readymades; monochrome and colour.   The book investigates concepts of familiarity and otherness; personal and impersonal.

• overpainting photographs - Richter either drags the photo through leftover paint or he drops paint onto the photograph.  The results are surprising - if they are good he keeps the overpainted photograph.  If the results are not good he discards the photograph.  It is a method of enhancing/obscuring sections of the photograph with textured oil paint.