The Walnut Gallery is proud to present 1:1 a photographic exhibition featuring the works of Doug Clark. The show will be on display from April 5th to May 21st, and will open with a reception Monday April 5th from 7 – 9 PM. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Doug Clark is an Assistant Professor of Photography and Digital Imaging at Jacksonville State University. As an exhibiting artist whose work explores the natural and social landscape through mixed media and digital imaging, his photographic work has been published and won awards in international photography exhibitions. Clark has been involved in the transition from film to digital capture in both the private sector and in academic institutions since 1994. He completed his MFA in Photography and Digital Imaging from Central Washington University in 2005.
Artist Statement:
In 1993 I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Over the course of six months I walked over two thousands miles. Sometimes days would go by without me being aware of the landscape that I had walked through. Towards the end of the trail in Maine, I ran into two hikers and commented to them that I was surprised I hadn’t seen any moose. Instead of answering they pointed to my right; in the trees about twenty-five feet away from me was a moose standing still. This poignant accident became an important lesson to me. Viewing is a conditioned experience. I realized at that point that for all the complaining I had been doing about not seeing a Moose I was never really looking for one. By taking photographs I am choosing what I want to see and what I want the viewer to consider. The images in my 1:1 Series are gathered from near my house in Jacksonville Alabama. When I moved out here from Washington State I had to reinterpret my relationship with landscape photography. My previous photographic work was in Western landscapes. The thick forest and plant diversity of this region along with a lack of open landscapes brought me to a macro perspective on natural forms. The series 1:1 was all shot on a still life macro table set up in my house. Instead of going out into nature to compose my images I bring smaller forms inside to explore their surfaces and shapes. The images are reproduced in a large format print to be shown in a gallery allowing the intricacies of these natural forms to create their own grand landscapes.