Outside The Photography Box

My Artistic Explorations in Conservation Surrealism

I had the great fortune of growing up as a child who painted. From a very young age, I felt compelled to draw and paint animals, items, and people. And boy, was I hard on myself. In my youth, it was raw for me. I had an image in my head and I wanted it on paper or canvas. When it invariably didn’t turn out exactly as I had envisioned, I would become very frustrated. I would wad the paper up and toss it, curse at G-d, or pound the canvas with my closed fists.

That was part of my evolution. That youngling had a vision. She was visited by animals in dreams and images that needed to come to life artistically.

Today this fretting over perfection no longer occurs, but the animals do. They visit my dreams with messages.

Over the years, as I painted on canvas, I learned not only to accept the journey of discovery as a painting came to life, but grew excited to see the variation and final piece. When it differed from my original concept, that was a-okay.

As my desire to bring animals into the hearts of people grew, I came to feel that photography might grant me more reach, for myriad reasons. So on my hikes and kayaking adventures, I brought along whatever camera I could afford.

Thirty years of journey has led me to a place where I mostly do a mixture of work: traditional wildlife photography and art pieces uses my images. I wouldn’t want to stay only inside the “traditional” practice and interpretation of photography. Start throwing “rules” at my artistic soul and I will buck you.

As I have mentioned in previous blog pieces, I see artists as filters of information. We each have our own experience and skill set. The Universe filters through it to offer interpretations that may be unique to each viewer. That’s the beauty of diversity.

Recently I’ve begun to use my wildlife images in a genre that I call “conservation surrealism.” I dub it that because many of the images are dream like, with large animals and objects, potentially warped or odd in some way, and a dreamscape type setting. As is…

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