Really pleased to have three images selected for inclusion in the upcoming exhibit “Wisconsin Photography 2016” at the Racine Art Museum’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. The show, juried by Karen Irvine, curator and associate director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, will feature the work of 38 fine art photographers from across the state. It’s always an intriguing exhibit, offering a broad array of photographic visions and approaches.
Inclusion in the show holds a special meaning for me on several levels. Racine is my hometown, the place I was first exposed to photography as an art form, and where I nurtured my early interest in the medium.
In addition to my career as a working photojournalist, I’ve always tried to maintain a steady interest in non-documentary work as well. The set of images selected for this exhibit are representative of some of the personal art explorations I’ve continued to pursue outside of work.
The portfolio I submitted for judging was comprised of a set of images all drawn from my interest in square format composition. As a relative newcomer to the Instagram phenomena, I’ve been intrigued by the platform’s 1x1 image ratio preference, and have been composing work with that format in mind for the last year or so.
What I really like about the approach, though, is how it reminds me of my very first experience with photography as a boy growing up back home. I remember the first camera I ever held was a twin-lens reflex camera which my father let me experiment with. I don’t believe there was even any film in it, but I can recall walking around our home composing imaginary ‘pictures’ while looking through the vintage device’s square-formatted, top-mounted viewfinder.
In a way, being part of this exhibit, with these images, kind of brings full-circle my passion for photography from my earliest exposures, to present-day pursuits.
The show opens August 28th, and continues through November 26, 2016.
