I'm primarily drawn to words. When I turn the page in a book of photography, I will have read the complete caption before I even see the photograph that accompanies it. I grew up reading the writing on the back of shampoo bottles; I can even read through most of an artists' statement or the first few paragraphs of new camera press releases. I think in words, not images.
Having the right title for a photo or series is very important to me. A title is a way of summarizing the content, highlighting what's important, directing attention, or guiding the viewer's interpretation. I recently did a quick series of photos of the structure and light of a vast space; calling the series "Cathedral" perfectly sums up my feeling about being in this place, despite it being the underside of a highway bridge. It may be something of a cliché, but it communicates what I want the viewer to know.
My most recent body of work is almost entirely abstract, and finding a name for it has had me stumped for two months. But that usually tells me that I don't understand the work well enough yet. Perhaps it's because the series itself isn't as finished as I'd like to think that it is, or it might be because I need more time to understand what draws me to it… but to be honest it's almost certainly a combination of both.
Time will tell, as always.
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