My solo show, Skin/Deep is done.  This body of work exploring the concept of concealing and revealing presented 19 allegorical images at Exhibit A Contemporary Art in Corning, NY.  I feel the show was a success.  Happily I sold some work.  The show also generated a really nice article written by Jeff Murray in the Elmira Star Gazette and Binghamton Press Sun Bulletin.  Most importantly, I was able to share the work I've been creating for the past year with the public.  For me, that's the most important part.  When I was a graduate student studying Photography, one of my professors said that showing your work to the public was the part that made it real.  However, she also said that when you show your work it no longer belongs to just you.  When you show your work it belongs to the audience, the public.  I may create work with one thought in mind but when it hangs in a gallery or in a museum, the work is open to whatever interpretation the viewer makes.  I think that idea scares many artists.  There can be a fear that your message doesn't come across.  

For me however, that has always been the most exciting part.  I know what every work means to me, because I was there when it was made.  But in the end that isn't what is important to me.  What is important to me is what the work might mean to you, the viewer.  Which pieces move you?  Which ones provoke thought?  Which works puzzle or confuse you?  Are there works that make you laugh or make you cry?  Are their works that spur you to action or make you consider something in a new and different way?  Are there works that you'd like to live with?  Which works conjure up a story in your mind and what are those stories?

In the end, my hope is that in looking at my work, you can find something in it that moves you, makes you react, affirms you and helps you to feel humanized.  I'm posting a slide show here of the work from the show and I invite your feedback in the form of your thoughts, observations, assumptions, stories or questions.  If nothing else, art should start a conversation. Let's get this conversation started.

I just received confirmation that Soul Mates has been chosen to be a part of the 24th annual Juried Photography Show at the State of the Art Gallery in Ithaca, NY. This show will be open from Wednesday, February 27 through Sunday, March 31, 2013 with an opening reception on Friday, March 1 from 5pm - 8pm.

Soul Mates (edition of 5) is a 24 x 24 inch archival aluminum print that features two mirror image Peruvian Grasshoppers (Lophacris cristata) and was created in 2012 as a part of the Entomos series. It is an image that reflects the idea of having a perfect bond with another being.  It is also a symbol of positive energy.

In China, the grasshopper is a symbol of luck and has long been a symbol associated with longevity, happiness, good health, good luck, wealth, abundance, fertility and virtue. In Ancient Greece the grasshopper is a status symbol. Athenians would adorn themselves with golden grasshopper hair combs and brooches as an indication of nobility. The grasshopper is also a symbol of immortality as we see in Greek myth when Zeus grants immortality to Tithonus, who was later transformed into a grasshopper (who of course, lived forever).  In Native American tribal lore (specifically the Iroquois nation) grasshopper symbolism deals with messages of glad tiding. In this context, the grasshopper is a harbinger of good news. Indeed, when this creature is seen on spirit walks, it is a sign that the seer will receive profoundly joyful news that will benefit the entire community.  As an animal totem, the grasshopper appeals to artists, musicians and dancers. 

I'm honored to be included in the juried SOAG show.  The annual photography show is always filled with high quality work from the best photographers in New York State.  If you are in Ithaca during the show, have a look.  You won't be disappointed.