LIFE VALIDATED and UNVEILED~ A Solo Exhibition of Photography by Pamela Waldroup
• ARTIST RECEPTION: Sunday, June 8th from 1-4pm
40+ photographs from 4 related series will be on exhibit.
Organic Reactions ~ Hostas
Architectural Perspectives ~ Interior Photographs, Manor House Bayard Cutting Arboretum
Vegetal Structures
Conversations Among the Trees
As a fine art photographer, my camera gives me the ability to reveal to others the details I find in everyday subjects that often go unobserved. The black & white and color photographs on exhibit in Life Validated and Unveiled” voice my strong desire to capture interactions between organic and architectural elements through a geometric approach found in the repetitive patterns and shapes frequently appearing in my images. Exaggerated angles of view and juxtaposition of serendipitously placed elements combine with moody, sometimes dramatic light to leave the viewer with a sense of a presence unseen but felt.
My photography is about hyper-focusing on the subject to validate my own experience and provoke a memory, real or imagined, to surface both for the viewer and me. The absence of color allows the viewer to become immersed in the place, mood and time depicted but leaves room for personal interpretation and imagination as well. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”
• ORGANIC REACTIONS SERIES ~ Hosta
Organic Reactions is inspired by the desire to connect my photographic work to being more mindful during any given moment. Enhancing the deep folds and rhythmic crevices captured in my black and white images creates a flow of movement throughout the pieces that invites the viewer and me to hyper-focus on the subject. As Vincent Van Gogh stated, ” I believe that one thinks much more soundly if the thoughts arise from direct contact with things, than if one looks at things with the aim of finding this or that in them.”
• CONVERSATIONS AMONG THE TREES
Actively conversing with these bold, contrasty photographs of trees initially takes on the fervor of an unbridled stream of consciousness. I vividly remember each location, the sounds, the light, the feeling of the air. countless conversations, and all are safely stored as muscle memories. Simultaneously, mindfulness kicks in. My brain is flooded with the same calm presence I felt while listening to the conversations among the trees. All stress and projections about what should be, has been or will be, vanishes.
Conversations Among the Trees is a visual validation of these inner dialogues shared with the intention that viewers may find or rekindle their own sanctuary.
• VEGETAL STRUCTURES
Vegetal structures, plants of every kind, offer a welcome respite from the chaotic pace of everyday life. There is a truth in nature that surfaces on its own. My camera allows me to connect to that truth by unearthing details that may have otherwise been overlooked. I shoot what I am passionate about: texture, form, dark shadows and patterns created by light and dramatic contrast. Enhancing the contour lines and dark values formed by crisp edges juxtaposed against deep recesses creates a sense of dancing delicacy and solid foundation simultaneously and provides the perfect opportunity to fully absorb every fascinating detail unfolding in front of me. Obsessed by architectural form within an organic composition, I hyper focus on the subject to validate my own experience with the intention to inspire a powerful response to emerge for the viewer as well.
• ARCHITECTURAL PERSPECTIVES ~ Interior Photographs, Manor House Bayard Cutting Arboretum
While visiting the Manor House, I was captivated by the rich contrasts in the beautiful wood tones that define the interior spaces beautifully illuminated by light that embraces an old-world ambience. The psychological effect of dramatically changing perspectives was one of inhabiting a space with a powerful presence that simultaneously transported me back in time.
