By JWS
Black and white photography has an arrogance and drama all its own. It demands your attention on its own merits. It is crystal on black velvet or gray scale tones ranging from mellow to bold. It is an expression of dimension and contrast that can not be transposed into another medium. Color would be a distraction.
You may have seen some of these scenes before, but you couldn't hold on to them. The wind shifted and they were gone. The traffic light changed and they were gone. You moved or your companion spoke. The sun rose too high or it set too soon and the illusion disappeared.
Others of these scenes were right where you were looking but you did not see them. By removing them from their usual context and putting a frame around them I turned them into something you do see. Some I created in the darkroom. By setting an exposure in the enlarger and burning and dodging the projected image I made something that was not there to begin with. And then I played with dimensions and perspective.
This is one in three dimensions. I tricked your imagination by flattening it into two. There in the collection of fountains I played with the fourth dimension... time. I froze motion. Here I have captured these subjects and placed them in a medium you can hold in your hands and view as long as you choose. OK, cut one out and frame it, that's all right with me. Perhaps by using my imagination I have even created something humble. How's that for arrogance?
You'll notice there is not one picture of a soup can in the whole lot. Sometimes words are worth more than pictures. When a flow of ideas cannot be expressed in one picture then a flow of words is needed. Thus this collection of essays. Well, Hollywood could do something with them. But let's leave special effects out of this picture.
Some of the essays are expansions of some of the photographs. Some are autobiographical. Some are silly thoughts that I have whimzied out of all proportion. Some are whimsical, but not necessarily silly. Perhaps "essay" Is not the correct definition for some of them. The photos and words are intended to set a mood, not to Inform. Anyway, It's been fun putting this together. While doing so I met an anthropologist. I met a geologist. But most fun of all I met a phor.
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This site and its contents are dedicated to JWS. 09-29-1927 to 05-28-2013