Umbrella in the Rain

Umbrella in the Rain

I sometimes forget the images that formed me until I work with them again.   I have just scanned this image from 1978 and as I was cleaning up the scan for printing quality, I started remembering the many times this image came to mind over the years and influenced my image making.  I was on a project where I was documenting the winners of a sales contest on their fabulous trip to Monte Carlo and the coast of southern France.  I was lucky to catch this image from the bus window as we rolled past.  I remember pulling my attention back from the happy people on the bus and seeing this solitary figure ahead and as we passed snapped off one frame. The image resonates with me, then and now.

A friend once stopped by my studio space (apartment) and commented on a group of pictures I had displayed.  He said, “I really like your work but the images are all so lonely”.   It sometimes takes someone reflecting back to you what you put out to give you clarity of your own experience.