JEWISH ART LAB 2014

In moments of complete focus, the world expands. This sacred space of present time acts as a bridge between everyday life and spiritual reality. Even functional structures appear to transcend the ordinary and take on an unexpected meaning. My interest in photographing natural and human-altered landscapes represents a search for sites that elicit openness to a spiritual presence.

"The Altar" was found on a rainy day last summer near Grand Marais, MN campgrounds. Resonance with the Akedah, the story of the binding of Isaac, was immediate. There are so many unanswered questions in this condensed story of Abraham and Isaac. Each year, with new commentary, we are invited to explore additional meaning. The questions are becoming more personal and relevant.

Months later, I spent the day on an island in Lake Titicaca, Peru. The chair placed alongside a makeshift table on an upper porch caught my attention. Perhaps the space was used as a private sanctuary by whoever placed the objects there. At any rate something called me to recognize what was before me, to take time, to answer, "Here I am", and to make a photograph as an artifact of the experience.