There is an amazing event that occurs the third Wednesday of most months (not August, 2015 for example) in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The Bushwick Art Crit Group, founded by a Bushwick based artist Christopher Stout, provides a place for artists of any medium to present and discuss a sample of their work. At each session up to seven participants get nine minutes each to show as many as ten images, projected on a screen. Each can talk about these in any way they wish and the audience can ask questions or offer their thoughts, all within the time limit. I have been attending these sessions for well over a year and always enjoy the presentations.

I was honored to be able to present a selection of my Body Abstractions this past Wednesday, July 22, 2015. I have updated that folder on this site with the ten photographs I showed. I began by introducing my background as a photographer and my recent formal education. I talked about my working method and that the images, although abstract, were straight photographs of actual elements of bodies of nine different women. I mentioned that these were lighted as seen, photographed digitally, converted to B&W, and adjusted only in levels. I did point out that occasionally a set element or light would be visible and that I would remove those, but the forms themselves was not retouched.

One question came up about this photograph and what the body element is. I discussed if knowing was really important. I asked if these were abstract paintings would the subject be important? The consensus was that it would not be. I got much positive feedback and interest in the future for the project, which will continue with additional studio and outdoor sessions. In the end, this was a fabulous opportunity and one I am pleased I did.