I was required to compose an ‘Artist Statement’ for a competition I participated in at the Albright Knox Art Museum several years ago. I feel it still reflects my thoughts and goals.

Negative Space

By: Jim

The sky is an ocean and its waters are time. We spend our lives at the bottom looking up. Trying to capture that impression is my goal while searching for potential photographic subjects. Photography opens an endless alien landscape to be explored and documented. These areas are often the silent places between busier locations. The term negative space always comes to mind when trying to explain to others where these areas are: the space between other places. Photographs provide the ability to record and catalog these areas without altering their environments.

The areas are located by visual sight and by searching through historical references. A great wealth of information can be found in old maps, photographs, books and online references. Local Historical Society web pages and The University of Buffalo’s Map Archive offer an abundance of information on local structures and parcels.

Heading out and searching for locales, often alone, is therapeutic. I first started taking pictures simply to record an area or an object. However, I quickly found that after returning from an outing, I was more at ease than at any other time. Cold Sunday mornings provide an outstanding opportunity for solitude and reflection.

In conclusion, the photos taken provide an opportunity to show others where I’ve been without disturbing the seclusion of the area. But more importantly, the photos allow me to record subjects that may not be around forever. Many of the areas are very old and time is taking a toll on their constitution. Western New York is dotted with monoliths from the Industrial Revolution. These structures are like great sea creatures that have washed ashore out of the depths of time and are slowly eroding into the landscape. Their skeletal remains litter the sky’s ocean floor.