I like to think of my Off-Season Project as still evolving as each ‘off-season’ at the shore will lend to new images, all of which put forth a time of the year known for its quietness and peace. No tourists, just locals….. The harried nature of society slows to a crawl and those who live in this environment most likely relish this time.
Now, like all photographs, every image represents a unique view depending on who is viewing it. We all differ in our perspective. We draw each image to us, into our fold, our memory bank, or that which further defines who we are. While seemingly each image should be close in basic design as we all see the same physical representation, upon closer examination we will all differ in our affection towards, we differ in exact interpretation of, and we differ in the impact and how it settles within us. Those differences are what makes art—-art….. All art…photography, or paintings or sculptures or glass or …whatever, is art that hits upon our very existence. Our daily abodes of life are constantly being bombarded with material representations of life, and thus it becomes difficult to step back and view our daily lives from a humanistic perspective. But, I have found one thing, one person…one common thread that appears to reach out to all of us and bring us a vision that we can all relate to. That one thing is a person who passed away in 1886. Although shy in nature, terminally encased in solitude and seemingly death to a degree, this one person had the ability to ‘pen’ words that cut thru the disguise that most of us wear. Her name was Emily Dickinson. So my Off-Season Photography Project has used her words, her thoughts…and matched them to the photographs.
For this project entitled ‘Off-season” …I have encountered the ocean resort and boardwalk town of Ocean City, New Jersey, all during the down-time of least tourists, poor weather…..quietness and an almost lazy feel of any downtown found in America, but yet one that is vibrant and alive during the summer months. While capturing this ‘Off-season’ daily grind, I have attempted to apply the soul and words of Emily Dickinson as she might have carved them to match. Though not ‘word for word’….but more of an artistic utilization of, I have used portions of her words and poems and letters to friends or family, as I attempted to clue the observer to a commonality of thought and bind them with a familiar view.