I recently came across an image titled Approaching A City by Edward Hopper. The painting has simple lines, intriguing colors, and a story to tell.
Studying the paintings of masters I begin to ask myself, how the techniques would be applied to my medium, photography-based digital art.
Here is Hopper’s piece that inspired my effort.
In Chelsea the first Thursday in each month is known as Gallery Crawl. Most galleries in the area open their doors, provide offerings of cheese and wine, and promote their latest exhibits to the world. It is a fun evening for the serious buyer or the casual observer who just wants the free wine.
Thursday, August 2 is my turn to participate. I have eight pieces appearing in a show, Expressions of Life, at the Montserrat Contemporary Art Gallery in Chelsea. For me, this is a big event.
Opening Night is Thursday Aug 2, 6:00-8:00PM. The show will run through August. If you are in the area we would love to meet you. The gallery is located 547 W. 27th street in Chelsea, NYC.
As I walked along the beach at dawn, barefoot with the tide pulling at my toes, the sun rose through a misty haze. The fishers were the first to arrive, followed by morning runners and the seagulls. Wishing you were here.
It lives within his soul, his manner, his perspective on life. Passed to him through generations, it is as much a part of him as the native blood in his veins. Ancestors hunted here, fished the shores, breathed the air, smelled the fragrance of these trees. Their spirits live in the stones buried deep in the ground, the great pines, bramble bush, creeks and in the crystals that surface there. It is the blessed one who is kindred to the land.
Darkness surrounded me. Fear, loneliness, the weight of a life wasted. I sat in darkness as a hand reached for me. The touch comforts me. I feel its lift. A touch of kindness. Knowing there is hope. The darkness fades. Light radiates to through the darkness around me. Spreading the light.
Stillness. Silence. I am alone, yet I know I am not. What goes there in the thicket, are you fur or fowl? I see you not but I feel your eyes following my slightest move. Oh, to know if you fear me or if you are wanting for a friend. The barrier is too great, we will not meet. Just watching.
JAM McKay Photography and Digital Art
George Bernard Shaw once said that sometimes photography is too real. I cling to that statement and it drives in me the conflict that eventually led to this change.
Pure photography is the art of story telling. It doesn’t lie, it is a documentary of that moment in time. Studio or staged photography tells a story of creation and imagination, but it is still real, a documentation of the staged event.
For me, manipulated digital photography is about dreams, what could be. It brings foreign worlds together, bridges time, and alters reality.
I compare pure photography as non-fiction, basically true with a personal slant. Manipulated digital photography is like fiction. They are different and serve different purposes.
As I spend more of my effort in the fictional world of digital manipulation, I no longer feel this domain name of Jamshots Photography is suitable. My gallery that has long resided at this web address has moved to www.jammckay.com. It includes both fiction and non-fiction.
I have grown attached to this URL and I will continue to support this address with new and experimental ideas.
Change is good. Visit me from time to time. I am pursuing some new ideas and I will try them here first. I will continue to update this site with my latest efforts.
Thanks for your continued encouragement.
JAM
