Photography
Artist Statement
September 2011
Many years of painting has influenced how I approach photography. Painting is a record of decisions made on paper or canvas, a thought-free reflection of the mind, the result of practice and training mingling with creativity. After all, Picasso said, “Painting is not done to decorate apartments”. Then again, Matisse said, “Art should be something like a good armchair in which to rest from physical fatigue”. It is my wish that you take pleasure in color and shape and enjoy your eyes as much as I enjoyed mine when taking these photos.
I go for walks alone with my camera and open eyes. Turn one degree in a new direction and everything changes. Nothing is ever the same. The vast complexity is attentively considered within the frame. It’s a collaboration of the human eye, the camera and the cosmos.
Made and experienced in solitude, yet one cannot solely own or control the making of a work of art. The ancient Greeks defined the muses as entities that visited if the artist was lucky enough to be blessed with inspiration and clarity. But an artist’s sense of ownership or pride could send them running as quickly as they arrived. Best to practice daily and remain open and humble. The rest takes care of itself.
Photography is a way of concentrating ones’ identity entirely within the eye. Sometimes, the image comes right away and all the other shots are unnecessary. Other times, the photo remains aloof until I warm to the field of vision. I try to drop concepts and ideas that I might rest in the abstract field of color, light, shape, texture and space.
