Still Life Passing . . .
JOHN PEARSON
Still Life Passing . . . A Photographic Exploration
by John Pearson
(c)Copyright 2012
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Everything in its Place As we go about our daily existence, the things we gather around us, the incidentals we pass as we move through space. . . the physical objects that provide meaning and provoke emotion, often go unnoticed--blurred by the constant absorption of the Self. And yet what we have around us profoundly affects the way we live and feel. Some drama, some way of extracting the mind from the turbulence of everyday thought is needed to bring a true and clear attention to the man-made mass of structures, tools, machines, furnishings, clothes, and bric-a-brac that cocoon us. Every item, no matter how small, has the touch of humanity, some human thought in its design, some human hand in its making . . . some hand placed it where it lies, some hand used or broke it, and that touch carries the spark of our originality. To paraphrase Steve Jobs: the world is ours for we have made it, and can remake it. The camera, lacking our distractions, is able to present us with visual approximations of the richness we are missing. Shape, texture, color, material . . . there for the taking. 3
Simple pleasures found in a quiet corner.
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Or a place. . .
quiet and simply pleasurable. 5
Paper . . .
Stars . . . with a luminous glow. 6
Metal . . . brass and pewter, wooden staves carrying water, milk, and wine, bringing tea and coffee to the table A balance of Form
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. . . and Function.
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Metal . . .
hiding thoughts, faces, and desires, creating a world of Celebration and Light. 9
Metal . . . aged---with patina and glow.
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Glass . . . formed with purpose
reflecting drops of light. 12
Ethereal . . . lit from within and without. 13
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Glass formed . . . seen darkly, cut and dressed for evening.
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Glass . . .
like ice, geologically liquid, yet for our limited years---still---frozen drops of sand and fire 17
. . . or piled and broken, ready to be melted and formed anew.
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Paper . . .
Stars . . . in traditional tones. The camera, today the computer, serving up a more disciplined fare, allowing the eye, the primitive night brain, to absorb, to contemplate more through less. 20
Black and White . . .
Motionless, yet somehow still Shimmering. 21
. . . with Touches of age and finish showing through.
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Earthy and Blued . . .
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Easy to hand in the ordinary course the under-appreciated essentials of life.
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Wood . . .
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and Leather . . .
Battered objects surviving generations.
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Carrying our many burdens . . .with safety and security.
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Touched, loved and rocked---child, adult and aged
. . .Wry weathered comments on the evanescence of our Existence. 30
For information regarding 12 x 19 inch (A3) prints on archival Pearl Paper please contact japearson123@gmail.com
Most photos were taken during a Still Life Workshop organized by and held at the beautiful Robinson Place Bed and Beach, Naramata, BC, Canada. The workshop was led by professional artist Kindrie Grove of Kindrie Grove Studios. Many thanks to Renee and Kindrie. http://robinsonplace.ca http://kindriegrove.com
John Pearson is a writer and artist living in British Columbia, Canada, with a passion for pen and ink drawing, travel, and fine art photography. 31
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