I
have always had a need to ground understanding of the world through
self-understanding to try to make some sense of it. My photographic
work is one method; it is my way of penetrating the world. It
is always a work in progress.
Dreams,
memories, myths, narratives, and literature are the main sources
for my inquiries. Dreams and memories are particular rich sources
for my inquiring. My journey is like a night sea crossing. I try
to translate from one realm to another; the dreaming mind to the
waking mind and back again. In between is some guiding principle
and a whole lot of questions.
The
process I have experienced seems to be about a surprising concurrence
of variables often perceived as related or connected. Perhaps
there is no apparent connection, only happenstance. Knowledge
is partial and incomplete. Nonetheless, I have come to understand
the structure of photography as a process that creates visual
metaphors. And like literary metaphors, they can hold meaning.
However, it seems that it is the act of inquiring itself, that
leads to the most meaning. And occasionally when one least expects
it, the world makes sense. But it doesn’t last long.
A
line or two about the technical aspects of my photography. Until
a few years ago, I worked solely with the chemical process. I
then started to experiment with the digital process. Now I am
only working in and printing using the digital darkroom. However,
all my images were made using traditional cameras. My earlier
works were focused and concerned with the many technical issues
in photography. I am now less concerned with the boundaries of
the technically perfect pristine print.
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