Keith Dotson
ELE M E N T S
EL E M E NTS
Copyright 2016 by Keith Dotson. All rights reserved.
A young girl rests on her bed in the afternoon. Her window is open, and a breeze tussles the curtains.
In school, she learned that the Earth is round. In school, she learned that the Earth rotates, and flies through space. She lies very still on her bed — although she lies very still, with her eyes open, or with her eyes closed . . . she cannot feel the movement of the Earth.
EARTH
WATER
Invisible beads of water float gently upward into the sky like balloons released from a wedding. They dance in the air joyously and form funny shapes . . . baby elephants, double-scoop ice cream cones, and cartoon characters.
It’s a gentle rise, but a tumultuous fall. In channeling water back to Earth, the sky roars so violently that here, Earthbound and fearful, we create gods with exotic names to explain the power and the noise.
AIR
As a small boy, he fell from the back of an older girl, who had been giving him a piggy-back ride.
Landing belly first on the concrete, the wind was knocked from his lungs. It was really the first time he became aware of air.
Later, in dreams, he would fly over the playground.
FIRE
Human beings have always needed prayer.
One could say that prayer is the most human of things. Prayer is words to the sky. Prayer is forgiveness from ancestors. Prayer is music played and music listened. Prayer is movement in unison. Prayer is fire.
Keith Dotson is a contemporary photographer living in Nashville, Tennessee. Specializing in black and white photography, his favorite subjects include landscapes, cityscapes, and abstractions from nature. He seeks evocative subjects with an especially powerful spirit or essence — often objects or places with a strong connection to history. Learn more about him at www.keithdotson.com.