Photographs we take are often a means of recording and documenting a moment used to reference a larger segment of time. Fine art images play upon the collective information stored within a culture to play out a intended story, though as individuals we have our own unique stored memories than enhance or complicate that story.
Many of the images that come to mind around my father are photographs taken in various places we lived before he died when I was twelve. Along with those images I have snippet memories larger than a moment that expand those snapshot memories to give me a larger picture of my father, though for the most part still fractional.

My photography has always been about opening up that snapshot moment either by capturing at unusual times or with different “eyes” (night photography; infrared or high contrast film), expanding the moment (long exposures), or working with a series of images like my latest Over Time studies:

Over Time

After being ejected from the city my new environs were surrounded by the rolling hills of the east bay. On my walks with my new best friend Ginger (a Queensland Healer) I chanced upon one hill that from the trail presented its rounded evenness in a very captivating manner. Each new time The Hill looked different, equally captivating and so I ended up photographing it often wondering which one would represent the feeling I had standing there in its presence. As you can see Over Time began to take shape. It wasn’t just The Hill but the many times I returned and the many moods I was in and the varying times and weather that I found myself pushing through. Once the project began to take shape I expanded it to the other two subjects I had been enthralled with in this same walking space.
Putting together images of one subject Over Time expands that snapshot memory, drawing upon the collective and individual stored information, to give The Hill, The Pond, The Tree a much bigger voice about their unique presence.
Though not conscience at the time of this project (poor thought process from a schooled artist) I was unconsciously influenced by other artists from Cezanne and Monet to Misrach on the effect of portraying a subject in time.

Work has fallen off so I’ve time to get the garden in summer shape.
Found this in my readings. Thanks to ‘eleven eleven’ from last year’s LitCrawl at City Art Gallery.

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Bamboo Speaks

Mind moving beneath the soil. Not a kind mind, but lovelier, and tricky, thinking in every direction. And more of life and more of life and more.

Paul Lisicky (eleven eleven, Issue 7, 2009)

My creative path has always been one based on a conversation with myself concerning the wonderment of experience. Adolescent estrangement, the green of the Pacific Northwest, watching the life energy leave a body, photographs I’ve taken, Teri – all these and more open questions that are not readily, nor succinctly explained. This is a continuously expanding and deepening conversation.

The first medium I chose to explore this conversation, and foolishly thought to attempt solution, was Mathematics. This came only after realizing I was uniquely not intimidated by the language. Of course there were many side shows going on – sexual obsession, drugs, friendships – but they, for the most part, only added to the wonderment; Mathematics as I progressed seemed to offer a viable solution by isolating and explaining the core of the palpable. I was intrigued by the idea Leibniz’s development of the language of calculus was in some ways a means to prove God’s will and hence God. That certainly had merit, no?

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Loreena McKennitt traveling from Canada to N. Africa following the roots of her muse – the Celts.

Her music is wistful, wanting, in a quiet learned sorrowful way, with the soft underbelly of longing. I am pulled in immediately then sent on an introspective solo journey to my center.

Seek the dias in the midst of the cacophony, sit quiet and listen, soon the distractions will recede and you can spend time with the flow of you, alone. I so miss that.

This year has not started well.

A good friend is shocked to be told “Get your things in order.”

Truth talk on the mesa above the strait that shakes the foundation of a life lived, though of late without the enthusiasm that used to sustain.

The ugly face of life’s economics stares at me. I must give fight.

In all this I am thankful to the woman who still chooses to remain my companion in our trek. Her perseverance, generosity of spirit and love sustain me, give me hope and a lovely reason to wake in the morning. I seem to need less of the rest, for better or worse.

And so it rains all day. Steady drumming and dripping. Gray, often unable to see across the Strait. Just all day.

Had a great talk with my friend Victoria Legg (victorialegg.com) about transition and the time is takes to recover, and discover, what you’ve lost and what still remains. She herself after a protracted transition is pushing through the fog, doing a great deal of work, assessing what is produced and letting go to the muse. It seems we will never be fully aware, completely understanding our situation enough to actually be in the ‘driver’s seat’ through the maze of days, but that letting go or getting out of the way of ourselves can deliver something surprising – a surprise of suddenly feeling fulfilled. A enlightenment that reveals how the path is still there, we are just further along now. One of those momentary openings into the timeless flow.

Caught in work and the need for cash flow severly impacted the Back to Basics or truly just brought me dead center to the Basics. Anywhos my August show at City Art Gallery will be a group of images of the city at night.

Still so many rolls to develop. It is like a treasure, a surprise (hopefully a pleasant one) waiting to happen. And waiting, and waiting…

I recall reading often about photographers having a quantity of rolls left undeveloped at their death. For posterity and procrastination I uphold the tradition. I suppose the near future will have scores of memory cards laying about never uploaded or printed. Tomayto – Tomaato.

Eric Black back in town suggested we have a photo outing. When camera choice was mentioned I realized how unconnected I was due to the digital point and shoot I had been using of recent. I decided to return to the setup that had inspired me many moons ago, my medium format square image Bronica SQA shooting B&W film. My intent is to shoot my new digs for my upcoming August show at City Art. Just straight images to begin with, back to basics.
I have been struggling with my photographic path for the past 10 years or so. Wondering of recent why I had so little connection, even to the point of abandoning the medium. But for what? Even larger abyss, or possibility.
So for now I will return to letting my eye dictate the action and let the mind play elsewhere. We’ll see.