On Thursday, August 5th I am having an opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (affectionately known here as MOCA). Well, sorta. I'm not actually in the museum, but in their museum store called the LAB Gallery. This is an area reserved for "emerging" local artists who need to get exposure to the public. Hey, that's me! It's a great idea. There is an application process and your work is displayed on easels in the store for a month. For more information on the program visit the MOCA website.
Exposure is an important aspect of building an artist's presence. It's part of marketing yourself and also part of engaging the public in your art. I enjoy meeting people and talking to them about photography. Nowadays, everyone is a photographer, so my work can perhaps be useful to those wanting to increase their skills or find different viewpoints.
For the exhibit I decided to gather a selection of images where the subject is water. I've been looking for the opportunity to put this together and now I have it. Throughout my travels to various national parks and gardens, I find myself often observing a body of water from a lookout point or the shore. Where water meets the land always creates an interesting situation. Two opposites meeting. Sometimes a clash, sometimes a harmonious union. I plan on maintaining this body of work and adding to it. Establishing thematic categories for your work is important. More than just keywords (plants, trees, water, etc.), a theme addresses an underlying concept behind an image and serves as a reminder to look deeper at a subject.
Displayed with each image is a small story about the making of the photograph. Sometimes the story is more interesting than the image, together they enforce each other. If you can't make the opening, please drop by to see the exhibit which runs until September 1.