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artist's statement
A Note by the Artist
The American poet, Charles Olsen described the process of
composing poetry as open field, words forming their meaning directly
and concretely on this ‘landscape made of paper’. I have
always felt the visual experience as an act and collaboration with
this open field; sensitized to everything I could bring to it and
receive from it through the interaction of light, chemistry, film
and paper.
I have photographed subject matter as diverse as New England architecture,
medieval wall frescoes and tomb reliefs, construction sites, western
landscapes, abandoned structures and the visual remains of cultures
from around the world.
The act of photographing often demands attention to technical details
and I have countered this technical control with an equal involvement
using the fluidity of accident in the making of my monoprints. I call
this the ‘struggle for the horizon line’ and its balance
continues to evolve.
Photographing and printing have been one of transformation from the
literal to the imagined; from the seen to the felt; from the invisible
to the visible. The poetic insight for me is one of intangible qualities
that can sustain a viewer through a core mystery made manifest through
my chosen materials.
I was fortunate to discover art and literature as a youth and began
making photographs and writing poetry to express developing interests.
Because of my curiosity and involvement in all the arts, I ceaselessly
experimented with materials, which continues unabated.
My first serious body of work was begun in graduate school where I
met and was befriended by the poet, Robert Creeley. He encouraged
my work and began using my images for his book covers. I moved to
New England to become Aaron Siskind’s first printer and assistant.
His influences on my work found focus with an intense physical absorption
with the act of photographing, as though the artist and subject were
in dialogue to bring out an essence of meaning.
As I ceaselessly explored new subject matter, my distinct process
in making these monoprints evolved from subtle, pastel like tones
into an expressive bold range of colors from deep blues to saturated
reds—all coaxed out through the chemical and light interaction
of black and white photographic paper. The idea of the monoprint is
central to my working process as all prints are unique and can render
different ideas and feelings as I try and discover a deeper understanding
each time the image is printed in the darkroom.
From the first architectural abstractions to the current body of work
with landscapes and structures from around the world, I have sought
to sustain an emotional core and further a sense of mystery with the
understanding that the subject matter is always internal.
-- Denny Moers
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