Category: Uncategorized

 

I am thrilled to have this image included in The PhotoPlace Gallery exhibit (online gallery), “Portraits of Self Isolation, curated by Aline Smithson.

You can view the entire exhibit HERE

 

I found Aline’s Juror’s statement very interesting and informative.  Food for thought going forward..

Juror’s Statement

Jurying an exhibition during a pandemic about a pandemic is a bit of a meta experience. Removing my mask and washing my hands after a walk, I sit down at my computer to consider work that is about those very things—being confined to home, covering our faces, and keeping sanitized. But truly, the self-quarantining experience is much more layered and psychologically complex than just wearing a mask.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and your responses to this profound moment in our lives. I had my work cut out for me as I culled through over 1,000 images to create this selection. I consider if the work challenges, transports, and delights, and I also consider the show as a whole. And, as the work ultimately ends up in a gallery space, the concern for quality is critical. Was the photograph created as a fine art image or simply a snapshot?  Is the image in focus, have the dust spots been removed, was it shot with intention, has the photographer avoided over sharpening, over saturating, or using one too many iPhone apps? Now that everyone owns a camera, it has become critical to stand apart, creating photographs that are not literal or obvious interpretations and bring a level of artistic seeing. Finally, I am not only selecting single images, but also curating a group of photographs into an exhibition that needs variety and a strong point of view.

I thank you for allowing me into your worlds – it was a treat to spend time with your work. You made my job very difficult. And also thank you to the PhotoPlace Gallery for offering opportunities and exposure to so many photographic artists.

Take good care and stay safe.

     — Aline Smithson

 

 

 

 

behind the door

“How concrete everything becomes in the world of the spirit when an object, a mere door, can give images of hesitation, temptation, desire, security, welcome and respect. If one were to give an account of all the doors one has closed and opened, of all the doors one would like to re-open, one would have to tell the story of one’s entire life.”

~ Gaston Bachelard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Down near the bottom
of the crossed-out list
of things you have to do today,

between “green thread”
and “broccoli” you find
that you have penciled “sunlight.”

Resting on the page, the word
is beautiful, it touches you
as if you had a friend

and sunlight were a present
he had sent you from some place distant
as this morning—to cheer you up,

and to remind you that,
among your duties, pleasure
is a thing

that also needs accomplishing.
Do you remember?
that time and light are kinds

of love, and love
is no less practical
than a coffee grinder

or a safe spare tire?
Tomorrow you may be utterly
without a clue

but today you get a telegram,
from the heart in exile
proclaiming that the kingdom

still exists,
the king and queen alive,
still speaking to their children,

—to any one among them
who can find the time,
to sit out in the sun and listen.

~ Ted Hoagland, The Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

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