Artist Statement | October 2017

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In the beginning photography, for me, was a way of capturing memories of family, friends, special times and beautiful scenery. About fifteen years ago I became more serious about photography and enrolled in an art program at the University of Maine in Augusta.

 

Photography is now an adventure, a way of seeing the world differently, of following an inner voice to capture interesting images while capitalizing on the formal elements of art.

 

My purpose and focus has shifted from recording memories and landscape photography to exploring my immediate environment, especially the streets, looking for something extraordinary in the ordinary everyday world – taking something mundane and transforming it into something else.

 

As I wander the streets I let my intuition guide me - no thinking - just shooting whatever attracts me to it. I see images in bits and pieces allowing each step of the work to unfold and reveal itself rather than recreate a vision within my mind’s eye. This way of “seeing” instead of just “looking” has unfolded over time and now is second nature.

 

Stylistically, contemporary street photographers Seigfried Hansen, Steve Johnson and Matthias Heiderich heavily influence my current work. A strong 

attraction to form, lines, curves, patterns, structure, light and shadow - along with a minimalist approach - guides our work. I allow my eye to follow a line or shadow to see where it takes me and the work becomes a discovery.

 

As I create a composition in my viewfinder, I try to emphasize structural elements to create an aesthetic that is pleasing to the eye – even if the object or environment being depicted isn’t a thing of beauty in and of itself. I strive to create a balance and harmony within the frame.

 

There is a strong understanding that with just a slight tilt of the head everything can change and something new can be created – chaos can lead to order, asymmetry can lead to symmetry, ordinary can lead to extraordinary.