Absolute Blogmusings from an absolutely blank mind Final FlightNot art, but worthy of sharing, I think. The Bay Area was one of the lucky places on the route of the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour – piggy backed on a a specially modified 747 – as it made it’s way from Edwards Air Force base to a museum in Los Angeles, where it will reside permanently. On the way it passed low over the Golden Gate bridge and then headed down to NASA’s Ames research center at Moffat Field where many of the wind tunnel work in its design was done. This historic journey was the last time the shuttle will ever be in the air, so I was one of many waiting for the shuttle and it’s fighter escort to pass overhead. Naturally I had my camera ready! Enjoy!  
Space Shuttle Endeavour's Last Journey Click here to see more images.
Water, Water, EverywhereAnother of my images has been selected for a group show at PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. This time the theme is WATER, and the show – including my image – will be on display in the gallery from September 4th through 29th. (Online exhibition, gallery details and hours here). The exhibition was juried and curated by Connie Imboden, a photographer and educator who’s work can be seen in the permanent collections of major art galleries across the world, including New York, San Fransisco, Paris and Cologne. To quote the gallery; “The PhotoPlace Gallery exhibition WATER features photographs that capture water in all of its myriad physical and metaphorical forms. We are born from it. We cannot live without it. Its beauty captivates us. Its floods devastate us.” My selected image is “Shore Line”: a semi-abstract contrasting the still, flat surface of an estuary outflow with the turbulence of the crashing ocean, separated only by a slim sand bar. This image is another example of my obsession with abstracting reality into lines, shapes, textures and colors, and although the image shown is in it’s “natural” orientation, I was very tempted to suggest it be hung on-end, or even upside-down! (It’s hard with a monitor, but try turning your head!). Cool, huh? 
Shore Line Click here to see the image in the gallery. The exhibition catalog is available from Blurb, and can be seen here (…and ordered, if you like the show!): 
Water: Exhibition Catalog There’s some great work here. Please take a look. Consistency of VisionI started shooting digitally wayyy back in 2000 and would like to think that I have evolved and developed in both technical skill and vision since then. I recently had a need to go back and look through my older images and was struck by how many of those older images (many passed over at the time) were completely consistent with what I’m shooting today. This month’s featured image was made in 2009 – not so long ago – but it’s interesting to compare with my featured image last month (which was shot earlier this year). 
Egypt Examined Click here to see the image in the gallery. Like last month’s image, this one is also an exploration of an architectural detail, with a focus on shadow, light, texture and geometric form. What makes the image work for me is its extraction from environment and context, giving the viewer no reference as to scale or location, forcing an examination of pure form and surface. Even then it’s NOT a pure abstract – my images always contain a clue that this is a photograph – and therefore a scene from life: something that can be seen in the real world. The link between abstract art and urban landscape is one of my consistent themes. This suggests a possible alternative definition for “evolution”: rather than getting better at capturing images, perhaps what has developed is simply my selection process! Hope you like it (…and please do share your comments!) The Attraction of SimplicityMy featured image this month takes us “back to basics”, as it were. At first glance, anyway:
Up to the Edge Click here to see the image in the online gallery. In reality, of course, this architectural study is overflowing with detail. Sure, it’s all about composition, light and subtle color (I especially love images which first appear at first sight to be black-and-white, but aren’t), but look closer. On further study, surface textures and patterns jump out, and the straight lines are neither simple nor straight. The play of light and shade makes the image three-dimensional and solid. But that’s reality for you. Finally, I like the ambiguity of scale, There’s no clue in the image to help the viewer judge how big it is, or what may lie outside the frame. That’s the photographer for you!
Imaginary PlacesI’m pleased to report that another of my images has been accepted to be part of an exhibition at PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury Vermont. This one was selected and curated by Laura Moya, executive director of Photolucida. My image will be online and in the exhibition catalog only, not in the physical gallery this time – which is akin to a silver medal, rather than gold, for those of you following the Olympics (the plus is that this does save me the printing and shipping costs!)
Greenland Click here to see this in my online gallery.
The Exhibition is titled ALTERNATIVE REALITIES, and seeks to bring together photographs that broaden the definition of realism in photography to encompass subjects that seem imaginary, mysterious, fictional, magical, or even mystical. You can see the online exhibition here. The exhibition is on display at the gallery from today, Aug. 7 thru Sept. 1, 2012. Gallery hours: Tuesdays through Fridays 11-4; Saturdays: 10-1. and by appointment only on Sundays and Mondays. (Address is on the PhotoPlace website.) The catalog is available from Blurb Books and may be seen (and purchased at reasonable cost!) here:
ALTERNATIVE REALITIES catalog
Please DO take a look at the exhibition – there is so much fascinating work – it’s well worth your time. Promise. |
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