Who is shining a light in the darkness?

The shutter opens and darkness gives way to light. Soon a flashlight draws electrical trails upon strands of hair. The shutter closes and our super hero is illuminated. This is light painting photography.

I recently did a demonstration of this technique at Denver Comic Con. Toward the end of it, I talked about how art shines a light on topics that  are sometimes obscured by a dark culture. Loneliness, body image, and sexuality are often misrepresented by the superficial sound bites of social media. If you support what's real, honest and meaningful, go out this week to your local 1st Friday art walk. Most communities have one especially this time of year. See how artists are engaging in important topics in thoughtful ways. You'd may find a breath of fresh authenticity in the air. 

I continue to seek participants for my loneliness project, Lonely Mythos.  Please check it out if you want to shine a light on this important topic!

Will we set free what's hidden inside our marble souls?

The human soul, like a statute, wants to be free

Come out…come out where ever you are! It’s hard to believe a block of marble can play hide and seek. But that’s how Michelangelo saw it when he was carving his sculptural masterpieces. These forms were hidden in the marble, ancient prisoners waiting to be set free by his carving.

There are also things hidden in society that need to be exposed to the light of day. This is what my new photo 365 project, Lonely Mythos, is all about.  My goal is to create dialogue that destigmatizes loneliness and provides inspiration of how to positively deal with things like isolation and rejection. In order to accomplish this, I need your help!  Will you consider answering a few questions to help make this project a reality?  You can read about the project’s inspiration here and then click on participate to answer the questions.  Thanks for your consideration.

A quick word about adding comments to this blog. Because my blog is rated for mature content (because I sometimes post my art nudes here), Google will not allow comments to be posted within the blog itself.  I regret that this has limited interaction with my readers.  Feel free instead to join the discussion on my Facebook page. You can also follow me on Google + and comment there. I’m happy that my new blog won’t have this limitation.  J

Can creative projects give us hope?

Photo courtesy of Mike Pach

Can creative projects give us hope, inspire new ways of thinking and help us get through the darkness in our life? For Colorado Springs photographer Mike Pach, the answers found in his work shout a resounding yes. His project, “Same Tree, Different Day,” not only inspired me but has positively impacted many other people as well. Mike photographed a tree behind his house each day for a year and posted them on his blog found here:

https://sametreedifferentday.wordpress.com.  He recently gave a slide show presentation of all 365 photographs at Pikes Peak Library 21C. His presentation inspired students from the Colorado Springs Conservatory to write the music that accompanied it. 

These photographs, while stunning, are much more than a beautiful collection of work. They became alive because of their story telling power.  They created a conversation about overcoming personal challenges, the universe providing for your needs and how a single moment can become a universe in of itself. This gave Mike a voice for what he wanted to say and encourages us to find our own. What project do we need to start today that creates dialogue that is important to us? My further thoughts about Mike’s project can be found in my poem below:  

Photo courtesy of Mike Pach

365 Stallions

©2016 by Jon Sargent

Capture the 365 stallions

Who go out to ride in the burning mythical dawn

What grows out of the screaming chasm of prints?

That their thunderous gallops leave behind

The tree, so wild, once dim

Now brightly swimming in fiery flint

Peel back frost bitten limbs

Tree skin with white crystal gems

Lightening sparks between dreams that thaw

Stirs the universe's provision within

The moment to leave dark shadows behind

Mirrors with open hourglass eyes

One tree electrified the viewfinder sees

I stand with it: it becomes me

Photo courtesy of Mike Pach

 “Same Tree, Different Day” is currently running a crowd campaign to fund a framed gallery exhibit of the project. For more information, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/same-tree-different-day#

Feel free to share your thoughts about “Same Tree, Different Day,” in the comments section below. You can also subscribe to this blog by clicking on the follow symbol in the upper right. 

Do we recognize others for their contribution or their disability?

Girl Envisioned Anew
Photo courtesy of The Arc

Her gaze sees every nuance in our souls. Her earring reminds us that her value as an individual is beyond compare. But there is a fantastic twist to Johannes Vermeer’s oil painting, Girl With a Pearl Earring. This work of art, along with other iconic images of artists, has been recreated using people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as professionals in the disability field. This formed the basis of the 2016 calendar, Portraits and Masterpieces by The Arc of the Pikes Peak Region.

I recently met the calendar’s artistic creator, Craig Severa, during a local art expo. His inspiration for the calendar in his words is that “everyone has something interesting or beautiful about them.” For the Arc and Severa, they want to celebrate diversity by focusing on “what people can do and not what they can’t do.”

This is apparent when you look at the models that are stand ins for the likes of Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, and Jim Morrison. While we know these famous artists had challenges, we don’t define them based on their limitations. We look at them for their tremendous contributions. This is the way we should see all people and the calendar is a beautiful metaphor for that.

Model Kevin Van Ness channels a Rock Icon
Photo courtesy of The Arc

My meeting Mr. Severa was rather fortuitous.  My last project involved refining labels, in this case masculinity, through photography and poetry. My next project will involve redefining disability through a sci-fi novel. It seems that “disability” is largely defined by the context in which the person finds themselves in.  For example, ADHD is largely regarded as a disability in a school setting, but we now know that it is a strength in other environments. The same can be said of autism and a whole host of other labels that define people by their difficulties.  In light of this, it may be fair to say that the truly disabled are people that can’t see beyond a person’s challenges. They are blind because they chose not to see the individual for who they are. Do we recognize others for their contribution or their disability?

Photo courtesy of The Arc

Per their mission statement, “The Arc of the Pikes Peak Region works to create a community where all individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are embraced and respected.”  For more information about their services or obtaining a copy of their calendar, visit www.thearcppr.og or call (719) 471-4800.

Feel free to add your voice by commenting below.  Thanks for reading and your contribution! You can also subscribe by clicking the follow icon in the upper right of the blog page.

Should we throw away labels or redefine them?

People's faces always tell a good story.  Some quickly looked away as if they just committed one of the seven deadly sins.  Others resembled cats in doorways: They like looking from afar, imagining what’s on the other side of the door but happy for the moment not to find out. Then there were  people that came up right away and wanted to know what it’s all about.   Such were the reactions when my fine art nudes were on display during an artist expo at a recent professional networking event. One of those “cat” individuals actually crossed the threshold by coming back to my table after he had pursued all the others. On my display board it mentioned my solo show and ebook, “Hero Myth of the Masculine Journey.” He asked, “What do you mean when you use the word masculine? That’s a loaded word.” 

Looks told stories that night

It became clear during our subsequent conversation that he was referring to the gender stereotypes that this label caters to. Society projects what men should be like, how they should act and dress. I told him that the title reflects my attempt to redefine masculinity. Through the use of haiku, myth and photographs, I created a story that asserts that men define masculinity for themselves through their life choices and attitudes. There comes a time when we must decide whether to live life as an adventure or play it safe and level out at mediocrity. This choice boils down to whether we chose to answer our calling in life or not.

I was thrilled that he asked the question, because it meant that he responded to the work. By the end of the conservation, this gentleman said that I was defining the word “masculine” in a different way than he imagined. This conversation got me thinking about labels in general. Should we get rid of them entirely or refine them? We know some groups have taken the hurtful labels of the past and reshaped them into a new positive identity. “Queer” is one such label that comes to mind. Still others labels have been thrown out.   I think ultimately the group that the label attempts to categorize should answer that question. Because I am a man, I wanted to use art to redefine masculinity.     What are we doing to either redefine or throw away the labels that box us in to what others want us to be? 

When’s the last time you saw a shooting star with someone?

The magic of shared experience

I can make mountains rise and erode within seconds. My voice is the vibrating scythe that harvests the wind of the valleys. I sit before a sponge like projection that will drain away the ocean of spoken words.

Check. Check. The monitor lines peak and dip on the sound control board. Within my imagination, I had the powers of Zeus so long as my voice didn’t crack due to my cold. “Hello everyone out in radio land…This is the Photo Show.”

When I was interviewed on the radio about my upcoming solo show, I was asked if I was looking forward to seeing my work for the first time through someone else’s eyes. It was a great question, because it points how something that becomes too familiar can lose its impact over time. Now that I’m writing this blog two days after my show’s opening, I can say that seeing others react to my work has made it magical again. It reminds me of the tremendous wonder I felt when first capturing these images.

When I create art, it’s like I’m seeing a shooting star from a hillside. If I see it by myself, it’s unquestionably a beautiful thing. But if I’m with someone else and see it through their eyes, it exponentially becomes a bigger experience.  This is why art builds community, because the true joy lies in sharing ideas and experiences with others. When’s the last time you saw a shooting star with someone? Maybe it’s time to embrace the night sky and find someone to climb that hill with you.  

Are we sharing the found treasure from within?

Photo courtesy of Shutters for Shelters

He pushes the shopping chart up and down the aisles like a dance! He stops to consider the mental list in his head:  Toothbrush. Check. Oranges. Check. Suddenly he stops in his tracks and wonders where in the store are the dog treats. But he has an even bigger question on this mind once he finds it. He turns to us and asks, " Won’t you let me unpack my groceries in your new forever home?”

It is amazing the stories that can be brought to life by photography. It is even more astonishing the narratives of animals captured by the non-profit known as Shutters for Shelters www.facebook.com/ShuttersforShelters. 

"Won't you let me be the princess of your castle?"
Photo courtesy of Shutters for Shelters

This non-profit in Southern Colorado advocates for animals by capturing their personalities. They work with shelters to provide quality photographs at no cost. These photographs are a critical piece in helping animals find forever homes. The more animals that are adopted, the more space these shelters have and thus more lives are saved.

The hero’s journey in mythology involves developing your talents, finding a treasure and then sharing it with others. I believe this group fits this description. These are talented photographers whose treasure is their found love of animals. They use their skill, time and creativity to positively impact a serious problem of homeless pets. 

We can do the same thing in whatever arena that touches our heart. Like King Arthur, we need to pull the sword out of the rock. The sword, like acts of compassion, doesn’t do anyone any good unless we take action.   Will we take hold of all we have learned and use it to help better our community?

Feel free to share in the comments section your own hero's journey or those you've noticed doing amazing things. 

Have we lost our inner child?

Has a critique early in life broken our creative spirit?

It started with a feeling. That is what I wanted to capture. As we cut out our eyes, trunk and ears, it was time to put them all together. I looked around and everyone was placing them in just the right places. But I knew better.  I glued them on the construction paper out of place, angled in the wrong direction and bent in some places. What resulted looked like a collaboration between Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. Because I did not follow directions in art class, I received an NI, which stands for “Needs Improvement.” I was taught that doing it like everyone else was right and being different was wrong. I eventually started doing art like I was supposed to and that destroyed my interest in it until after high school.

No one ever asked me why I made my construction paper elephant that way. I made it that way because the elephants I saw at the zoo were sad and I was like them. This art project was about expressing an emotion and connecting another creature on this earth with my experience growing up. That connection was dismissed by adults that didn't take an interest in what this project meant to me. It makes me wonder how many young creative talents have been broken or destroyed by the critique of an adult?

In some ways, I still feel like that child. Many around me really do not understand what I’m doing with my art and sadly won’t take the time to ask me. They instead look at it with wandering eyes if they look at it at all. Some make prejudgments about it and me. That’s why I’m grateful for those that did take the time to listen to what I’m trying to say. I have my first solo art exhibit coming up and have a radio interview about it.  I’m happy to report this show will be different than the other figurative works people may have seen!

I believe we are all artists in our own way. The exploration of our talent  can be be a difficult road because it opens us up to ridicule and critique. But it also offers a tremendous opportunity to invite people to look at the world and themselves in a different way. Have dismissive adults caused us to lose the inner child: the one that allows us to use imagination to create beauty from deep within ourselves?  Like all lost things, our inner child can be found again. It might take a patient mentor that encourages us to start up again. Are there people in our lives today that need us to do just that?

Will the camera or the heart be our Valentine?

I would slowly reach for one branch after the next.  There was sweat dripping from the brow as bits of bark somersaulted to earth. When I hoisted myself to the top, I knocked on the door. A muffled voice behind it call out, “What’s the password?” I gave it and was let into the tree house club.

Today, photographers are also trying to get into the tree house. They have been led to believe that having expensive cameras and equipment will gain them entry into the professional photographer club. As Ansel Adams once said, "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it."  

Where will your heart take you?

With that in mind, my advice to new photographers is this: before you spend lots of money on equipment, start off by taking pictures with your cell phone camera (which can take good pictures). Since people usually take their phones everywhere, you can photograph anything during your day.  See what kinds of subject matter you become drawn to. You can then experiment with different ways of approaching your subject, such as camera angles and perspectives.  You will develop a vision  over time for what you want to capture, be it a mood, story or call to action. If your vision is being hampered by the camera you are using, you can make an informed choice about buying a new one that meets your needs.

The lens that really matters is the one deep inside us. Our creativity and vision makes a great photograph.  Will we learn to open our hearts before our wallets?

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Does nude photography promote stereotypes of the human body?

On the eve of the Super Bowl, I am reminded of the phrase, “football player build.” One could argue that such a build is necessary for the physical demands of the game. But is there a required body type for the nude model?

When artists like myself photograph models that are physically fit (in my case, males), some may ask if we are promoting stereotypes of the human body. I believe this is a legitimate question asked by sincere people. It does make an assumption that someone is chosen to model based on their body type. While I cannot speak for other artists, my view is that a fit body is merely a by product of the most important quality for a model to have: body awareness.

In modeling, body awareness is key

For someone to be an effective nude model, they need to have a great sense of themselves. This means knowing their physical capabilities and limitations, how their feelings affect their body and how to express themselves. Many gain this awareness through physical activities that they are passionate about. Still others push the boundaries of sensory experience in their lives through lifestyle choices.  These things put people in touch with themselves in a way that make them ideal models. They are able to take a concept presented to them by the artist and interpret it with their body at a moment’s notice. This is why models that have no previous modeling experience are able to come up with great interpretive poses. All I have to do as the photographer is articulate a clear vision of what we are trying to accomplish together and beautiful images emerge.  

A person can develop body awareness in a number of different ways.  It has just been my experience that the physicality of the models posing for me has been key in achieving effective images.  There is also the practical consideration of being able to hike for miles to reach the outdoor shooting location. Does nude photography promote stereotypes? I think the answer to that depends on how you approach a project. If you are interested in photographing the nude figure, ask yourself some questions: What is your project about? What level of body awareness do I need from the model to accomplish this? Am I basing my choices on superficial qualities that society promotes or my own authentic vision?  It's all about the artist knowing what they want, why they want it and the model's ability to render it.

Are the dynamics between dominant and submissive a paradox?

Thanks to a trashy novel and equally horrendous film adaptation, dominant and submissive traits are being discussed. These words that bring many things to mind. Some may think of gender roles and responsibilities within society when thinking about them. One person works while the other stays home raising children. Others may look at the power dynamics in a relationship between two people, with one exerting psychological and/or physical control over someone who has consented to it.  The aspect I was interested in exploring in my art had to do with dominating our egos and submitting to something greater than ourselves.

Dominate yourself and submit to the universe

The internal relationships of being dominant and submissive greatly intrigue me. We all have things we need to dominate within ourselves: We need self control over things like our passions, what we eat and our thoughts.  We need to be able to reign in our fears that cripple us from taking needed action. We need to produce instead of always consume. Without this self control, things can quickly take over our lives in a negative way.  On the other hand, there are things in life that we submit to and yield control. We must submit to our own mortality. We submit to our employer and the law (if we want to keep our job and stay out of jail).  We submit to something larger than ourselves to affect positive change.  We find our calling that the universe has put before us and hopefully accept it.

Given these realities, are the dynamics between dominant and submissive a paradox?  Is every dominant also a submissive; every submissive, a dominant? While these labels are useful to define current relationships, actions or states of mind, no person can ever truly encompass just one of these aspects. This presents an even bigger question: what areas of our life do we need to dominate and which ones do we need to submit to? The answers to these questions blaze the trails of our individual journeys.  May we experience many blessings with them.

Dominance and submission are explored poetically within the story arc of the ebook, Male Nude: Hero Myth of the Masculine Journey. You can visit www.figurativearc.com for more information.  Thanks for reading and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Is the struggle to achieve our dreams ever futile?

Relic of  the past

Nathaniel Herrick was a Canadian entrepreneur that had a dream. He envisioned creating a saw mill to supply lumber in 1877 for the nearby silver operations in Silver Cliff and Westcliff, CO.  He hand built a road where he hauled up a boiler and flywheel. Newlin Creek would supply the power for the operation, as well as a water source for the cabin he built next to it. After completing all of this work, he suddenly died. His dreamed died with him, as the operation was abandoned, along with all the equipment.

Will we take hold of our dreams?

The flywheel and boiler now sit at the end of the Newlin Creek Trail.  I took a number of pictures of the flywheel on a hike, and returned again to do some figurative photography. The wheel itself symbolizes time in my mind and by extension, a dream. This is why the model holds onto it, which poses all kinds of questions. What does this moment in history mean? Was all the effort put into this enterprise pointless? Are our dreams futile?

These questions remind me of Alfred Tennyson’s quote, “Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” In this context, I would substitute “dream” for the word “loved.” While Herrick’s dream was never fully realized, he was nevertheless successful in my judgment. He went after something that was bold, risky and innovative. What better way to spend your last days?  It certainly beats drinking in a saloon and thinking about what could have been. The struggle to achieve is just as important as it is to realize it. What will we strive to achieve?  

If you’d like to share your dreams or other thoughts on today’s blog post, you can comment when you subscribe to this blog. It’s free and super easy. Just click on the follow link in the upper right corner next to Google + and comment below.  Happy New Year!

How can a tragedy become an opportunity to create beauty?

Fiery destruction becomes winter wonderland

How can a tragedy become an opportunity to create beauty?   I have explored this question on an artistic and personal level.  As part of my art, I have taken photographs in two areas that were devastated by fires. The first was around a reservoir where I was riding my bike. From the trail, you could see a row of blackened trees and grass with the water in the background. I took a picture and  imagined ice instead of fire. With a simple adjustment, I was able to reverse the appearance of black and white in the photograph to create a magical winter scene.  This photograph became the cover art on my website’s home page.

Out of the ashes, there is hope

I did a photo shoot with a male model in an older burn area that had some vegetation regrowth.  There was a gully where a number of trees had fallen across it. In the bottom right hand side of the image, there was a single sunflower, which was taken as a sign of hope. This landscape became the inspiration for the narrative of my photography/poetry book, Male Nude: Hero Myth of the Masculine Journey. The antagonist in this story is a sun demon burning villages throughout the countryside. 

On a personal level, my community has undergone numerous tragedies. I know people who have started non profits, ran support groups and engaged in the political process for the first time in response to them.   While we may never fully understand why these horrific events happen, we can bring honor to the people and things we have lost by our response to them.  The beauty comes when we choose to reach out and see difficult circumstances as opportunities to help others.  The alternative is to do nothing and become lost in hopelessness and despair. How will we choose to respond?

If you like discussions like this, you can follow us on Google + by clicking the follow link on the upper right hand side of the blog.  You can then add to this discussion by commenting below.

Will you answer your calling?

Comfort of the familiar or call to adventure?

Frederick Buechner once said that your calling in life is when your greatest joy meets the world’s deepest need.  For example, maybe someone had a loved one in Hospice in the past. Years go by and now there’s a still quiet voice inside encouraging that person to volunteer with them. There’s a great need for compassionate end of life care. This person answers the call and gets joy out of helping others.

When we leave our comfort zone to pursue something unfamiliar, fear can easily settle in. Some may attempt to drown out that quiet voice that calls us to do something bigger. The pursuit of money is one way people do this and the many faces of addiction are another. It often can take something dramatic in our lives to refocus our attention to it.  This is what the story of Jonah being swallowed by the “great fish” is about. Jonah refuses his call and spends three days in the belly of the whale. He is then vomited out three days later, being reborn to his purpose.

Mythology can teach us about our calling today. These stories have a common theme: The hero is called to obtain something that will be used to help others. We are on the same journey. Monsters of the past are the injustices of today; swords, acts of compassion. Will we answer the call of our lives or not?  Our answer to that question determines the type of person we choose to be. 

If you’re interested in how I represent these themes in my work, you can view the photography slideshow,  Male Nude: Hero Myth of the Masculine Journey here. You can follow us on Google + by clicking the follow link on the upper right hand side.  Thanks for reading!

What does our reaction to male nude art, or any art, say about us?

What does our reaction to art say about us? There are two stories that inspire today’s blog question. The first one involved a time when I entered several male nude photographs for an art show’s open call. I was told by the person coordinating the caIl that a gallery couldn’t accept them into the show due to past history. Apparently one of the gallery’s resident artists left because he was upset over a previous display of male nudes.  She said that they couldn’t risk alienating anyone else (the gallery had apparently no issues displaying female nudes).

The second story involved a photographer acquaintance of mine who had an art show that contained both male and female nudes.  He was listening to people’s responses to the work. One man looked at the female nude and remained silent. When he came to the male nude, he made a despairing remark about the photographer. Both works were created by the same artist.

Nude photography isn’t going to appeal to everyone. Some may not like it at all, while others may prefer looking at one gender or another. These personal preferences are understandable. The question that the two stories present is not about liking or not liking something. It’s about why the male nude was so threatening to the two men in these stories. What insecurities led to such over the top and crude responses?  While we can speculate about what’s going on in someone’s head, it’s better to examine what’s going on in ours. If you look at art and it makes you feel uncomfortable, ask yourself why. Does it make you aware of your own prejudges and insecurities that you don’t want to see?  Is it quietly calling you to deal with difficult issues or even do something to change them? Our response to art is an opportunity to examine ourselves and make us into better people. Are we paying attention to what it’s telling us?

If you find posts like this interesting,  you can also follow us on Google + by clicking the follow link on the upper right hand side.

Male Nude: Hero Myth of the Masculine Journey

There’s a magical moment when you’re reading a hero myth and suddenly realize that the hero myth is reading you. This ebook project was the marriage between my interest in the mythology of the hero's journey and male figurative photography. This pairing allowed me to explore deeper introspective issues of masculinity. When going through the photographs that I had taken of men over the years, it seemed clear that there was a story being told here. I wanted to make a story something you could read,  so I wrote a haiku for each photograph. These haikus created a narrative about overcoming fear, finding who you are and helping others. The resulting story that came out of this was a myth about a sun demon burning villages throughout the countryside. The threat calls an ordinary man to take action to save his homeland.  

The hero's journey template that was identified by mythologist Joseph Campbell spans across  all cultures. Since all men are on a quest of self discovery, I felt that using multiple male models seemed appropriate to represent this universal aspect. My hope is that this book holds up a mirror to who we are as men. Male Nude: Hero Myth of the Masculine Journey is available for presale on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Apple iTunes.  For more information, please visit my website, www.figurativearc.com