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Erika James via Rochelle Rubinstein
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| Detail of "Cowboys Are Dangerous" - Erika James, 2013 Photograph © Shane Tyler Adams, all rights reserved. |
Looking for relationships between and combinations of visual elements comes with its own set of risks. One can drill down to the extent that in the reduction they miss the larger relationship or the larger context. As we seek the essential, we must remember to pull our heads out of our asses, step back and take a look around to make sure that there isn't something subtle - or blatant - on the periphery, the significance of which we may have missed. Case in point:
I often shoot through screens and frames looking for reflections and
interesting juxtapositions. At the time I walked by what you see part of above, I was only conscious of the
colours and text, the reflection of an urban environment, and, after a while, the
effect of the cold temperature on my motivation to experiment. Believe me, I
waited a long time for someone wearing a cowboy hat to walk by.
This is a detail of a piece by Erika James - shot through a window (duh). For part of the year I live in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by real cowboys (and cowgirls), open spaces, and animals. Perhaps because of that, I was relating directly to what I found in front of me, the colour, the text, and the possible irony (among many) presented by the reflections of an urban environment in the gallery window. What I didn't realize consciously at the time was that I was shooting another artist's work. This may or may not have caused me pause at the time - for a comparison, or context, Look at Jay Maisel's shot of Tom Otterness's giant bronze mouse looking over the schoolboy's shoulder.
If you are in Toronto, go see the Mon Ton Gallery - 402 College Street. I mean it. Rochelle Rubinstein curates the exhibits there. Keep your eyes out for Erika James' work.
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