Now ~ A place and time.
We find ourselves. Age 17. Anyone remember what it was like to be 17? Or perhaps recall when your child was that age? It’s that time of unbridled optimism, when you think you can do just anything; a time before the reality of student loan debt sinks in. My friend Betty asked if I’d be interested in talking to her 17 year old grandson Patrick about photography. He was coming to town to work on assignment, and maybe I could give him some tips or tricks. Let’s get this in perspective, Betty. More important would be my opportunity gain insight from him. What you say? You’ve been at this photography business for two of his lifetimes, and working on a third? At this stage in my career, it is time to give back, to connect, to see life from a different perspective. On a tour through my studio and photo gallery, Patrick asked questions, a lot of it was about equipment, a photographers favorite topic. When he picked up a round prism, you could sense his excitement… yes, I said, you can borrow it, while at the same time thinking, can’t wait. Later he held it front of his lens and shot through it, focusing on the miniature and reverse image inside the glass. Curiosity. The coolness of something old. You know what this is, holding up a plastic film canister. Yes, Patrick once saw one on YouTube. The broken film camera. He traveled to Florida with it, because it looked cool. It’s kinda weird, I had one just like it which worked; it had his name on it. Like the old film camera, deep inside we all wish to remain relevant. What’s old is new again. We jump at the chance to check in with new ideas. A new challenge brings excitement to our work. Patrick really liked my body in motion series, which was inspired by the ORC Fitness center project. The interior designer’s concept of “movement”, inspired me to represent a passage of time in a still photo. Patrick’s idea of movement involved shooting slow motion video, at 120 frames per second. While he “filmed” on the Sony mirrorless camera in total silence, my Nikon D4 definitely sounded more epic; like a rapid fire machine gun, recording individual images at 11 frames per second. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the moment while shooting, particularly when the music is playing, and the action is happening. But remember, the band is no longer playing when you later on review the photos. Or is it? In Patrick’s video, he’d time travel with the snap of his fingers, and there was definitely a soundtrack. Since my background is of film, a much more deliberate medium, my first response to a beautiful sunrise, or an impressive site is, breathe. Say, Isn’t that a beautiful thing. Pause. Get the right perspective. There’s plenty of time to do it. Just do it. That’s the shirt Patrick wore when we did the body in motion series of his backflips. He did them alright. Perhaps a dozen times. Until I got it right. You see, my career has been a process, where one thing has led to the other, and challenges overcome along the way. Or to put it another way, my success is due to the very definition of “luck” : which occurs “when preparation meets opportunity.” Good luck, Patrick.
0 Comments
Nothing represents the state of renewal more than the site of peony blooms bursting onto the scene in the summer. I first met the peony during my artist residency at Vermont Studio Center, a remote retreat for visual artists, writers, printmakers and sculptors. They were everywhere ~ like bougainvillea in the Florida Keys ~ throughout the quaint town of Johnson, where peony bushes graced every yard. Louise had a garden full of them, tucked away between the Red Mill and the meditation room. As resident at VSC, one is freed from the pressures and responsibilities of daily life, which provides unlimited time for artistic exploration and personal reflection. An artist with this opportunity is akin to the peony: all winter saving energy, to eventually exploding in the summer, with saturated colors, from deep crimson red, shades of pink and fuchsia, to subtle white with a nuance of peach. I was in residency at VSC in June, the month that the peonies bloom. I blossomed. My skylit studio space was filled with blossoms which sat in mason jars. The fragrant aura in my space was a contrast to the painter’s oils and thinners of my neighboring artists. The petals from the maturing blooms eventually rest on the studio floor, a photo of which could grace the cover of a romance novel. I am reminded of that wonderful time of inspiration and renewal, especially in June, when by my friends send me photos of this year’s peony blooms.
And for my friend Juana, who chose these images for her home at Ocean Reef, my hope is that each day is as joyful, inspired, and full of renewal, as was my time spent at VSC. Artwork is the finishing touch, the personal item that makes a house into a home. Our latest installation is actually a re-install of five large scale photographs into the owner’s newly custom built home. I guess we have to roll back the clock two years to when I first met Jamie. She was first introduced to my work through examples on the wall and in the entrance to Gianni’s at Ocean Reef -- museum mounted pieces designed to overlay one another. During our first meeting, while seated in her great room where the work would eventually hang, Jamie spoke of her love of nature, birds, and water. She admitted she was obsessed with mangroves after watching the TV series Bloodline. Her choice of photos with soft, warm tones, silvery grays, sepia, and a touch of color, were starting to emerge. Though originally designed as one assemblage, in her new home the space was different. Jamie re-arranged the art to fit the new spaces. She grouped three of the photographs, while the other two pieces were hung on their own. Many thanks Jamie. Much happiness to you in your new home. Click on an image to expand. Art in Homes & Public Spaces Visit Carol's Art in Homes and Public Spaces gallery to see Jamie and Gianni's former home art install.
|
CAROL ELLIS
This photographic website provides me the opportunity for self-expression, for sharing Archives
May 2024
TAGS
All
|