Bio:
Warren Simons practices the art of seeing. Photographs can come from a place
where we let go of our expectations and preconceived ideas, and instead open to
curious exploration, letting the visual surprises in the everyday world find us.
He follows his own path of study, learning from photographers, painters, art
teachers, writers, potters, and poets. He has practiced the art of seeing and
expressing that work with the camera for 23 years.
Having grown up in Massachusetts, he lived in New York City for 25 years and now
makes his home in Montgomery, AL.
Statement:
I grew up in Massachusetts in the Connecticut River Valley, just east of the
Berkshire Hills. The beauty of the New England landscape always connected with
me in a deep and intimate way.
The 2020 Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn opened the door to this series
of photos. While viewing the planets from the top of a parking deck, I noticed
patterns of cracks and stains on the garage floor. These forms had hints of
landscapes, and the scene begged to be photographed.
When I edited the photos, I gave in to the impulse to paint on them with the
paintbrush tools in Photoshop. And the imaginary landscape series was born.
What a wonderful process of serendipity!
Landscapes are everywhere. Efflorescence in concrete. Wet sand in the road.
Rusty beams. Patterns in marble. Sand at the beach. Stains, cracks, blistering, rust,
and water marks on every imaginable surface. I just have to slow down, pay
attention, and play!
This project is ongoing, but I have enough photographs to layout a book of
Imaginary Landscapes. That initial layout is complete, and I am working through
writing an introduction and getting a review from an outside person in the field to
include in the book.
My goal is to produce a good quality self-published book.
Questions:
What do you think of the five images that I’ve submitted to you?
My layout will be an Introduction, 70 images, and a closing review. Does that
sound like a good layout? Do you have other ideas on book making projects that
could help me fine tune what I am attempting to do?
Would you like to see the book when it’s published?
