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I have always thought, & processed concepts, in pictures rather than words, so photography is really my ‘first language’. Speaking about it requires translation that is quite often awkward. A 35 year struggle to mitigate & integrate the realities of social anxiety into a life has had a huge impact on shaping my art. While certainly not all of my work is without tension, irony, satire or sarcasm, I do have a preference for trying to distill calm out of chaos…… I like looking at photos that make me feel connected, that make possibilities seem endless. There is plenty of angst & conflict in the world to deal with daily; there is much that needs to be debated & championed & defended. But to participate in those tasks with integrity we have to fill our souls…
I love to explore structures, both man-made & natural. Architecture entices me into imagining the tapestry of stories it has to tell: interwoven lives, successes & failures, the forgotten & the memorialized. Religious buildings across cultures are a favorite subject. I find it rewarding to appreciate the diverse ways we edify our spiritual needs in our churches, temples, mosques & memorials, & at the same time, comforting to note the tremendous similarities no matter where I am in the world.
Since art is by definition interactive, (‘one part’ my perspective from my track through the world, ‘one part’ how my offering is received & enhanced by the viewer & their track through the world), I am drawn to try & glimpse that dynamic, yet abstract & ephemeral intersection. Very much like with a moving particle in physics, the act of observing & recording qualitatively changes the subject. I find the same to be true in life, & as a result I rely heavily on ‘peripheral’ vision to capture the offbeat- those moments ‘just before’ or ‘just after’ as it were. The viewer is left to complete the story, to infuse their own meaning into my images.
I utilize a wide array of current photographic ‘tools’, working with both traditional film & digital media, eventually editing all images through Photoshop CS2, & printing on, among other things, canvas, fine art paper & metallic photographic paper, depending on which best supports the image & it’s story. I use a Wacom tablet & wand along with several art filter brushes in CS2 to enhance my images. Altering elements that impact the perception of time has a particular appeal to me.
Education:
Bachelor of Science, Psychology, University of Houston, 1986.
Professional Photography Certification, New York Institute of Photography,1994.
Master of Business Administration, University of Houston, 2000.
*[I donate 10 percent of all proceeds to 1 of 4 non-profit organizations that operate in the areas of the globe where the photos were taken; Oprah’s Angel Network, Doctors without Borders, Holocaust Museum Houston, & Heifer International.] |
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