Looking

I love those moments when we notice the cycle of how we influence each other just by being us and how we could possibly surround ourselves with people and events that might enhance growth.

If there was one thing that I would identify while walking through Joanna Poehlman's show at Redline, its her continuous act of looking, with intense observation, examination and attention to detail. She says she never gets bored. How can you when you develop such an immense interest in each and every detail that surrounds you? I see the same sense of observation in Kyoung Ae Cho's macro photographs of natural things that surround her. Frost on leaves, insects resting on branches, winter decay and dormant life. I often notice that I look more when I am behind a lens. Something about the tunnel vision that it provides, brings everything in focus and I start to observe more intensely within a frame the camera provides. 

Recently I needed to get an artwork framed and went to a local small business. As I was waiting to get my framed picture wrapped, I became enthralled with the movement of the person wrapping it. It was like a dance. Smooth and graceful with absolutely no waste of time, energy an efficiency. The whole process probably took a minute as he cut of masking tape and brown paper with a speed that I had never seen before and folds that were sharp and precise. However the acts linger in my mind as if in slow motion that seems to last forever.

I caught myself intuitively looking and it was breathtaking. Yes, how is it possible to get bored when there is so much to look at- both actively and intuitively. The picture below is of shadows cast by branches on a wall near Redline. The visual was strong enough for me to put down my bags in 20 degree weather, take out my camera and capture the moment.