Manifestations
When I made these images, I had no idea what was to become of them. They were just fleeting moments in-between the day-to-day routine of work-eat-sleep etc. Collecting these ‘moments’ has been rather like collecting rocks on the beach or any other item one might find compelling. Books on the lives of historically important photographers as well as what they had to say about photography have become another passion of mine.
For me, the implication alone of “taking” or “capturing” an image indicates ‘possession’ or the ‘need to own’. That isn’t how I work. These images were made at different times in my life over a period of about 7 years. But somehow, they (the things being photographed) seemed to relate to each other and not by the subject matter. I can only recall that there was (and is) a recurring state of mind that exists each time I make an image; A very receptive state of mind wherein the subjects make themselves available. Again, by freeing the mind of external thoughts and being more receptive, the images make themselves available to the conscious photographer.
In his book “Mirrors, Messages, Manifestations”, Minor White talks about sequencing images and state of mind of the photographer among other things. I had begun thinking about sequencing my own work and the more I read his words the more intriguing they became. Not to confuse intention with state of mind, my intention when I made the images was much different than my intentions upon putting them in a sequence. However, my state of mind when I made the images was very much the same as when I chose them for sequencing. The sequence seemed to give the images more depth as a unit even though they were made at different times of my life. A sequence of images becomes a different thing entirely. In the end, I have a wonderful collection of portraits of moments and from this collection I have chosen 5 images for this sequence which I call “Meanderings”.
~ dorothykloss, photographer
For me, the implication alone of “taking” or “capturing” an image indicates ‘possession’ or the ‘need to own’. That isn’t how I work. These images were made at different times in my life over a period of about 7 years. But somehow, they (the things being photographed) seemed to relate to each other and not by the subject matter. I can only recall that there was (and is) a recurring state of mind that exists each time I make an image; A very receptive state of mind wherein the subjects make themselves available. Again, by freeing the mind of external thoughts and being more receptive, the images make themselves available to the conscious photographer.
In his book “Mirrors, Messages, Manifestations”, Minor White talks about sequencing images and state of mind of the photographer among other things. I had begun thinking about sequencing my own work and the more I read his words the more intriguing they became. Not to confuse intention with state of mind, my intention when I made the images was much different than my intentions upon putting them in a sequence. However, my state of mind when I made the images was very much the same as when I chose them for sequencing. The sequence seemed to give the images more depth as a unit even though they were made at different times of my life. A sequence of images becomes a different thing entirely. In the end, I have a wonderful collection of portraits of moments and from this collection I have chosen 5 images for this sequence which I call “Meanderings”.
~ dorothykloss, photographer