artist statement

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I am a designer and photographer. My photographs reflect a deeply personal view of this quintessentially Midwestern region, central Illinois. I was born and raised here, educated here, and I've lived here for all my years. 

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I grew up convinced that a camera was simply an annoyingly functional part of family-life, Brownies, Instamatics, Polaroid Land cameras and the lot. Not even my first cameras, a Pentax K-1000 and Canon AE-1, would convince me differently. I continued to use the camera as a purposeful tool documenting my drawings, prints, paintings, and ceramic pieces. A few years down the road it would take chronicling a grueling eight-hour surgery that would send me out one weekend with my own camera, using it irretrievably for me.

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Former Director of Photography at MoMA John Szarkowski stated: “When you pressed the button the camera described what was in front of it. That’s what photography is.” Indeed, it is a moment. Cliché? Hell no, it’s an adrenaline rush. And then you’re on to the next one. And the next one. And It's just like that. I'm hopeful for those moments. Older neighborhoods, iconic places, landscapes, small towns, farm communities, architecture and all things that speak of culture and community. 

 

And me, I'm just a joyful curmudgeon that photographs whatever the hell he wants.

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My inspirations span seven decades; they are emotional touchstones. Influence, well now, that's "a horse of a different color" said the Gatekeeper to Dorothy. I'm influenced by my heroes William Christenberry, who embraced his beloved Hale County, Alabama, and his friend William Eggleston, the “father of color photography.” And Joel Meyerowitz, his work, and his book A Question of Color put all this picture-stuff into perspective. Fashion photographer William Klein, and painter Ellsworth Kelly, and journalist Charles Kuralt, all fiercely independent. 

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