Instead of a typical biography, I want to express my gratitude to the teachers & artists who have shaped my artistic journey. Their guidance & influence have been invaluable to me, & I am deeply thankful for their contributions to my growth as an artist & the life it has given me.
In 1970, when I started at the University of Iowa, I met someone who opened my eyes—John Shulze. John was the founder & head of the recently formed Photography Department at the University of Iowa’s School of Art. Through John & his graduate assistants' efforts, I learned the craft of the still image & more importantly, the ability to expand my creative sense & visual awareness. With this help & guidance, I learned to think of all artistic imagery as a visual, emotive language. Thank you, John!
I met Bud Lee, the famed Life photographer, when he came to the U of I School of Journalism early in 1972. I worked with him in some of his workshops & projects. Bud’s advice was to be AUDACIOUS & that being a little bit crazy really helps sometimes!
I met Minor White at the U of I Photo Festival, Refocus ‘71. He gave several talks, the most notable of which was his introduction & expansion of Alfred Stieglitz’s ‘Equivalence.’
I attended a workshop by Wynn Bullock in ‘74. At the workshop's end, Wynn reviewed two images from each participant. My first was of a street jazz band, which all he said was, ‘It's sort of musical.’ The second was a picture of a kid flying a kite. After looking at it, he said, “I don’t know what to say about this,” and placed it in the back of the stack. He was too kind! I learned then the best tool I could have as an artist was a bigger trash can.
Galen Rowell certainly double-downed on Weegee’s “F/8 & Be There!” His work also introduced me to the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, an area I love. I visited his Mountain Light Gallery often & met him & Barbara. He died too soon.
Elliot Porter’s work showed me there is great beauty even in nature's most ‘Intimate’ chaos.
Walker Evans's work showed that the banal is truly beautiful if you have the heart to see it. Many of his early images, like those of Hale County, Alabama, still amaze me with their frankness & their beauty.
I recently discovered Linda Conner’s work through her book Odyssey. It was spiritual, ghostly, poetic, beautiful & went straight to my heart!. I need to see & learn so much more.
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