Making a Comeback.

Back in August, I was part of an artist residency at a Catholic monastery in upstate New York. It changed my life. That experience is its own story; I even wrote a long essay about it, which might never see the light of day. What I want to talk about now is my newfound inspiration.

One of the major takeaways from the residency was rediscovering the “right reasons” for creating art–the joy of it. That being said, I struggled for some time with figuring out exactly what I wanted to create. 

An idyllic scene from Mount Saviour Monastery during my time at the residency.

In December, I took a day trip to New York City to look at some really wonderful photography exhibits. Man Ray, Saul Lieter, and Yamamoto Maseo were a few of the artists whose work I was able to see up close. But one artist was not on our itinerary, a completely unexpected and serendipitous mini-exhibit within the back room of a gallery. That artist is Miho Kajioka, and her work jump-started my new creative practice.

I was struck by the experimentation in her photographs, the techniques and old processes she uses to create such beautiful imagery, the meaning behind what is shown and hidden, the feelings and sentiments which we seem to share and which were clearly reflected in her photographs.

I felt a renewed sense of inspiration, and I have since infused my photography with the spirit of play. Whereas before I was overly concerned with technical perfectionism–the right composition, the right settings, having full control of the camera, and knowing what the outcome of my photo would be–now I embrace the unexpected and unknown.

An example of new work: embracing light leaks, soft focus, and imperfection.

Maybe it’s just a phase, but I’m having a lot of fun with my art right now. It’s been a while since I shared any of my work. The time has come to let these new creations out into the world. I promise, there will be more to come.