While documenting the removal and restructuring of my grandfather’s estate for artistic therapy to help cope with the loss I took the following portrait of my much younger sister. Sitting alone in a room that will never be filled with the same presence, physically or spiritually she did what I had so many times at her age years ago; explored the hidden treasures of a toy chest. It made me reflect on the circular nature of life. I was able to reconnect with myself through her actions and ponder on the sameness of it. My moment of reflection revived the moment of past, made it fresh, and made the unfamiliar refamiliar. All at once the past, present and future combined as a reminder that our connections are not with people, places or things but are instead with passions, perceptions and thoughts.
Selected work for Portland Squared Gallery Show at Pro Photo Supply, 1112 NW 19th Ave. Portland, OR. August 2013
Event Details
On May 17 and 18, more than 70 photographers converged on Portland for a 24 hour period to document a randomly assigned portion of four square miles. They used planes, cars, boats, and their own two feet as they captured our city from every possible angle. This gallery show displays the work and creativity that went into documenting the people, architecture and landscape of downtown Portland on that day.
All photography enthusiasts are invited to an opening reception, which will be held during First Thursday in the Wide Format gallery at Pro Photo Supply Thursday, August 1st, from 6pm-8pm. Snacks and beverages will be provided!
Artist Statement
Sky: Perspective Changing is an Erica J Mitchell series where she asks the viewer to look into the sky for hidden beauty. People often look into the sky for objects, but rarely take the time to observe it for it’s pure artistic integrity. The images found here remind the viewer that the open expanse of a cityscape can itself be a canvas, where clouds paint their reflections on windows, buildings offer symmetrical breaks in the wild formations of aerial spacing, and man-made items like power lines and chemical emissions add their own evocative layers to an otherwise natural canvas. Enjoy these pictures from a wildly different perspective!
Poem
Look Up
By EA Brown
It’s easy to look down,
Natural in shape and form, following the curvature of our spine,
This is who we are, how we are designed,
We bend and bow to those above, and follow, so as not to be left behind… LOOK UP
It’s easy to look down,
Following the footsteps of those who have passed before,
Attempting to reach an already open door,
Wishing not pursuing but wondering still if we can offer more… LOOK UP
I’ll press myself above,
By keeping my focus on the things out in the sky,
The shapes, colors, and patterns that sit atop my world on high,
The dreams and scenes of in betweens that become a distant savior’s lullaby LOOK UP
I’ll pull your eyes above,
Share with you the things that inspire me,
To pursue the things that others think can truly never be,
To teach the world that in the expanse above is where our minds are truly free!
Animated fishermen wax figures greet tourists at the entrance to the John Steinbeck Wax Museum in Cannery Row. December 7th, 2013. Monterey, California.
The beauty found in “The Fishermen” is the complexity of its simplicity. At first glance the scene of two mariners standing seaside dress in the robes of their professions feels like a million other pieces of decor found in wharf gift shops and causal-dining seafood restaurants located in every anywhere U.S.A town that one can recall from any childhood journey that started out with parents looking to have big fun without big spending. But what of their catch; the lady in between them behind the net? Dividing a seemingly connected sequence in two resides a character both in place and out of place . Splitting this bright scene is a figure devoid of the charm on either side, giving the entire showing an ominous feel. Is this the story of two men fighting for the affection of one woman? Is it a reflection of past, present and future? Does the net intertwine them, or is it all coincidental? Is the net what seems to make two or three separate scenes join into one, capturing the character as it captures the viewer? Though stark in contrast, the out of place portion of the picture may be the central focus holding it together, with the two main focuses simply becoming bookends to the art; two separate men tied by fate to the same webbed rope.
