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about the photographer
At it's core, my work is about culture... as James Boulton said in describing the early writings of Edmund Burke, "the opportunity given to an observant (person) to analyse human nature." I've long been interested in philosophy, sociology; so I see as a photojournalist, a street photographer, or a philosopher; not as a fashion photographer. As a result there's little danger that my work will look like everybody else's. My images usually mean more in the context of a series than as individual photographs, and sometimes they require a little effort from the viewer -- My work is not aimed at everyone. Rather, I seek to reach a smaller but more thoughtful audience.
I began as a photojournalist, first for the mainstream press and later as a writer and photographer for a music 'zine. Although I rarely accept commercial work today, my style continues to be influenced by those early experiences. I document the world around me, whether an inside look at a counterculture or a tour of the backroads of America.
list of exhibits ||
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The current iteration of this web site includes recent work as well as some older things that haven't been shown in a while. It also includes more writing than I've been in the habit of posting; but recently I've found myself writing more and photographing less, so this balance reflects the current mindset.
Perhaps the biggest change is that I've moved from a concept-based presentation to a simplified subject-based one; and I've lumped my street photography, cityscapes, and landscapes all together in one section. In essence, I've found those subjects overlapping so much lately, the boundaries merging and becoming ambiguous. They were no longer separate subjects, only different facets of my explorations of America and it's vast array of places, things, and cultures. My current presentation owes more to Alexis de Toqueville and those who have followed in his footsteps, those writing about, attempting to understand, this big complex place... Jedediah Purdy and Rebecca Solnit immediately come to mind... than it does to conventional photographic "subjects." There's also a dash of political philosophy, landscape ecology, taoism, wabi sabi, and new urbanism mixed in. It's my edited and minimalist interpretation of a very complicated time and place.
Further thoughts and selected images are posted on my blog on a regular basis.
Those with thoughts, comments, or offers to collaborate or model may follow the link on my contact page.
Self portrait at Venice Beach, California
May 4, 2005.
Copyright 2008, all other rights reserved
September 20, 2008