On Tuesday, Becky and I hung my pictures in the Washburn Public Library. When we were done, we took time to stand back and appreciate/critic.
Seeing my work displayed in a public space was a revelation. I realized that the pictures had taken on a life of their own. Now, they will be viewed and experienced by strangers that I will never meet.
When I wrote my artist’s statement for the show, I knew intellectually what I was setting in motion, but not emotionally. With my pictures on formal display the emotional reality solidified.
Over last weekend, as I worked on the statement, Becky was my muse. When I thought I had a reasonable draft I read it to her. I had just gotten through the first paragraph when she interrupted me with, “And I want to thank my mother, my director, my accountant, my gardener …” mimicking an Oscars acceptance speech. At another point she snored. I got the point and threw it away and started over. She was right, I was being pretentious and boring. In the end, I wrote the shortest artists statement that I think that I’ve seen and, perhaps, the most direct.
Here it is:
Photography is an integral part of who I am. I can’t walk down a street without seeing the color, texture, beauty, and drama of the world around me. Whether it is someone waiting for a bus or the light filtering through the trees, I see history, relationships and composition. I see stories. My photography and image making is an attempt to communicate with you, the viewer, some of what I see and experience. My pictures provide visual clues but you provide the emotional and intellectual content. In this way, I provide pictures for your stories.
After seeing how my images responded to the spaces in the library, I made five more of the larger 13 x 19 prints to add to the show: three are new and two replace smaller
8.5 x 11 versions. I’ll get them from the framer by Monday and hang them on Tuesday.
I’m working with Frame Ups, a local framing company. They have two shops, one not far from my house and the other in Saint Paul. The folks there have been very helpful.
Their web is http://www.frameups.net/ . If you need matting and framing, please check them out.