This Isn’t an Explanation

This is an exploration

Who the fuck am I?
Who am I to motivate, to influence, to inspire?

I grew up in a tiny town with not much, but enough.
I’ve always known love, sometimes more than I deserved. I have both my parents in my life.
I was taught a lot by them, and I continue to learn. I’m grateful for them.

I have suffered. I have been tested. I have experienced pain. I had three near-death experiences before I was four.
And yet, I am lucky.

So who am I to talk about art? What do I know?
Who am I making art for?

Am I making it to impact, or am I making it for me?
I think I’m doing it for both, myself and to make an impact. I’ve always been an intuitive photographer, so making work has always come from somewhere I’m still actively trying to understand.

With Gaoth, I feel like it’s all for me.
It’s about highlighting the importance of showcasing the invisible, making it visible, making it beautiful.
It’s about highlighting impermanence, and how life is a gift to be cherished, not wasted, not taken for granted, because most people don’t get the opportunity to truly live.

Life is anything but just an existence.
I know plenty of people who fall into that category, where the only enemy to doing anything they want is themselves.

That’s the importance of art and what I want from Gaoth.
It’s not words. It’s not me telling you anything.
It’s just giving you the opportunity,
giving you the opportunity to find something in the work.

And what if you don’t?
Truthfully, this used to really bug me.
What if someone gets nothing from it?

But as time has gone on, I’ve started to realise:
As an artist who uses my camera as my medium, I am not in charge of your outcome.
I am in charge of my input.

So it’s not about whether my art does or doesn’t say something to you, it’s more a question of:
Are you willing to sit in it and allow something to come up for you?
Are you willing to tune out the distractions, the voices, the noise?
Are you willing to look and see?

Now, note the important line here: I am not saying my art speaks to everyone or anyone.
I’m saying that’s not a question I can answer.
I can make it with the purest amount of love and devotion possible, and someone can still hate it.
That says nothing about me, and a lot about the viewer.

Are you willing to sit in a room with it, undistracted by the world, and see what comes up for you, by you, and what that means?

I’m showcasing beautiful images of flowers moved by wind.
The level of metaphors I could offer knows no limits, but it’s pointless for me to explain them, because it would create a voice for you that might be louder than your own.

I just reread that and I love that line:
“It creates a voice for you that may be louder than your own.” – Me

Can you quote yourself? I don’t really care haha.

We have so much noise out there right now.
I’m finding it harder and harder to sit and not be distracted by phones, content, the five apps I’m part of where I receive thousands of updates from people I don’t know.
I’m not sure if it ever ends, or if we eventually find a way to wade through the noise to that sweet spot where we can hear ourselves talk and actually listen to what’s showing up for us.

So, like I said,
Gaoth will not be presented with words, or individual ideologies, or Irish blessings like I originally planned.
Gaoth is for me.
It’s for you, if you’re willing to sit in a space and see what comes up for you.

Now this brings me back to what I wanted to talk about today:
How and when will it be presented?

Truthfully, I have no idea.
I always had the idea that I was a photographer.
And I am. It’s what I do, and what I love.

But the notion of what I do is changing.
I used to shoot every day, street, life, document.
Now I don’t.
And I don’t have the desire to.

I’m not shooting outside of work as much.
Right now, I’m mainly shooting for portraits or commercial, or when it’s windy for Gaoth.
Last Thursday was the only windy day in the last ten days, and the only one in the next week, so you bet your ass I was out hunting for a frame (I got one also).

The point I’m making is: I’m stepping more into my artist era.
I’m someone who wants to share work in a way that’s designed to connect.
To connect the audience to something bigger than just the photos.

Don’t get me wrong, the photos are beautiful.
I’m so happy with them. I love what I’m making.
I had one printed last week and it looks superb.

But that might not be how I present it.
Maybe the idea of an exhibition is too close to how I’ve always thought about photography displays.
But I don’t think that’s how I want to present this.
As an arts display, can it be more impactful?
Can I elevate the works by changing how I display them?
Can I have a greater impact on the viewer?

Who knows, maybe this exploration will take me right back to here, to displaying as a beautiful exhibition with incredible printing and framing.
Maybe this is the start of exploration or realisation.
Only one way to find out where I am and where I am heading.

Let’s get into it.
Hope you stay viewing as I explore this phase.

Big love,
Adam

Ps would love to hear your thoughts on these pieces and what you get from them.