Saturday, July 31, 2010

Zen and the Art of My Photography

Zen.
Spending a week soaking in "Zen and the Art of Photography" has left me with more questions about my work and what Zen is than I could have thought.  Doug would would be pleased with that struggle I know for sure. (smile).   For myself, I am left with few answers, but more awareness.  Maybe that is the entire point of Zen and everything we were exposed to this week.  Contradiction is at the heart of Zen.  Rooted in action and focus but also non-action, clarity and reflection as well. (Did I just write that?)

"Show me the face of God."
This was one of the final exercises.  No kids, no pets.  No problem.  My mind hadn't gone that direction.  I looked near the river and found nature there.  Found man's destruction there also.  I think it's hard to find the face of God.... I believe it is to be revealed and I think it will take time for that photograph to show itself to me.
A great quote from the week:
"We don't see things as they are- We see them as we are." -Anais Nin

I realized the photograph that follows is the one I kept going back to while thinking about my "Zen week." The moment I saw this, I knew I had to make a picture of it.   It's an abstract- no pretty landscape or flower, but everything is here I connect to.  The dark rectangular shadows needed to be there.  The torn edge.  The uniformness of the screen. The composition.  The loose strands gradually pulling away and escaping. I doubt few besides myself will think much of the image, and even though I'm sharing it, I need to not worry about that.  "Don't listen to that voice."( as Doug would comment).
  So I didn't.
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