Making work is a private thing--like thoughts. In private, in our heads we are free to explore anything, even the dark, the illegal and the socially unacceptable, its only when we choose to make these thoughts public do they become a matter of issue to consider.
And this takes great courage, even if you paint pictures of flowers or kitty's--putting them on display for others opens you up to being judged, because when judging a work of art--cruelty can be so easy to accomplish because the work itself doesn't react--only the creator does.
The beauty is the work of art itself couldn't care less about the critic and will go on being what it is despite our words or thoughts. Its like the food critic who bashes a chef, the food itself was fine with what it was, and fine in its own way, even if riddled with toxins, what does the food care?
Perhaps the best thing for an artist to do is listen, learn, but really don't take a bit of it to heart--because all is opinion--not fact--some may be useful--most will not.
This is the struggle I have with teaching, is my more informed opinion really worth anything beyond what the student has already put into the work. I guess this is what I'll struggle with the rest of my career.
I can only be sure of my work--and sometimes even that is a hard one to digest, as I'm not always sure about my work. I know there are more talented all around me, but it doesn't seem to be stopping me.
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In 2004 Harmony Motter and I had a little show in the Academy Theatre, in Meadville. It was a quiet little show with works that she and I did out of the love of photography and self expression. They were all Black and White shot on old Tri-x film. It was fun making this work and having a show together. I've always respect Harmony's work and her love of photography. Above is one of those images from the show. Today it is my favorite one, but other days I like the pear and other days I like the hand with 'Just having thoughts' written on it, other days its the beach picture. To read more about Jim and to see even more of his work go to: I had an assignment to photograph the music in the renovated ballroom at a local nursing home last night. When I got there everyone was sitting down and their were two musicians who were sitting down against the wall - it didn't look good for a picture at all. And this story is destined for Page 1 at some point. It was dark and I was trying to use natural light to capture this one elderly woman who finally got up and danced all around as the other residents watched her, some laughing, some looking on as if they didn't approve(I love this dynamic of personalities in any situation you find all the same types of personalities!). The lighting wasn't working very well and her movements weren't big to really show dancing. She kept concentrating on dancing to the camera as well. I was in trouble for getting a good picture out of this! At one point I decided just to pop off a couple frames with the pop-up flash on the camera on, something I've done only one other time before. I took about 4 frames before looking at the back of the camera to discover I completely blew the dancer out. On the back of my camera she looked like a perfect cutout so decided not to delete them but see what they looked like back at the office. When the image popped up on the monitor and I saw a smiley face appear in the vast white of the over exposed completely washed out figure I realized something special had occurred. Serendipity decided to give me a funny image today! I took this philosophy class at Edinboro University, I've forgotten the instructors name, but he was this wonderfully lanky man who could easily double for a homeless man on any hollywood set. I often felt like class was a conversation rather than a lecture. I think this was troublesome to other students but it suited me fine. I think his name was Haber?? A farm in Venango County in June 2008 The decline of newspapers is a very dangerous thing in this world where accountability and the need to evaluate daily what our culture and systems of rule are up to. A newspaper sits around on a table, a chair, it can be left open on a page that one might not look at, but stumbling on it something catches our eye. Newspapers are without a doubt the most important informational tool that exists, because it isn't fleeting and it has the power to remain at our fingertips for days, weeks and even years, to be evaluated and reevaluated fully. "Is your nose cold mum?" George asked Louise as they sat outside during an annual family Christmas photo shoot. This is a small example of some of what can be lost if we don't pause to look at pictures. This funny picture says a great deal. A son taking care of an elderly mother who has AD, he is separated from the rest of the family to care for his mom and to share moments with her while she is still around. It shows a comfort level between the two and as Louise smiles she indicates that AD hasn't completely taken her over. Yes pictures like this can function in cyberspace, but this picture published in the paper can be looked at again and again over time and even more can be gotten from it. This new work which began a couple years ago by revisiting projecting photos on a surfaces and re-photographing, then morphed into holding photos up to a light and changing the way they appeared - then into layering photos together -papers with words printed on them over photos, to using a micro lens to sandwich slides and prints, thus bringing in old paintings and drawings - to this work begun in November 2008 using the computer to put all of my work together into individual pieces- is an attempt to bring the powers of photography(a expressive documentary art) with the wonderful quality of paint and lines drawn with the hand(an inward expressive art that is unique to ones expressive ability) into one that now become another picture, another meaning altogether. 2005, part of the "2 photographers, 200' of film" show with Harmony Motter Janine Naomi Grant was one of my first students at Allegheny College. She has energy to spare for sure and excelled in her desire to become a fashion photographer. She had an idea to wrap her favorite model Angela in electrical chords. I hung out and stole a couple shots from this shoot and made this image. Its not my art really, but it was fun to work in a different way and push my ideas to a new point. Working this image ended up influencing some of my new work using text and some photoshop filters I'd never used before. I also began to use masks and layers more effectively from this playing around. I was sick as hell when I did all of this, but it was good work and it gave me new knowledge that can now pass on to my students. The wonderful thing about having time to kill is how it makes you look and then see. Thanks to my dogs and their curiosity about everything on the outside of the car. Many smears are left for the light to dance on. I photographed this in the parking lot of Cochranton High School after showing up a half hour before the start of a basketball game. I shot this picture on december 20. My friend Craig was returning to Denver from Iraq, possibly around the same time. This Santa was fooling around back stage, but I really felt this picture said what I wanted to say about my friends safe return from a war zone! Merry Christmas and....... well peace! |
AuthorI am a photographer and a maker of images in many other ways. You'll see! Archives
April 2011
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