February: ROBERT A. PARKER |

On Reflection

Robert Parker

Why have I chosen “reflections” as the theme of this exhibit? Because reflections take the viewer beyond reality. They offer one a new ways of seeing. Instead of recognizable images, one views distortions, splashes of color, the bending of light. Without reality to limit one’s perceptions, one is confronted by an underlying emotion and a kind of poetic restatement of the real.

The reflections here exist on a variety of surfaces. The most prominent is water, whether in a stream, a puddle, or a wet street after rain. In some cases, these reflections suggest movement, such as foliage reflected in a stream or a boat sitting in a harbor. The reflections may also be on glass, either a window or a glass-walled building. In this case, the image is more static, offering precision in the distortion.

I do hope the viewer can see the emotion in these images. What brings out emotion for me is the blend of color and distortion. When I see this blend in the viewfinder of my camera, I feel that spark of creativity every artist seeks. But I also recognize that while I have discovered the beauty of these reflections, I have not created them.

So one purpose of this exhibit is to demonstrate the beauty that waits all around us. We only have to look up, at buildings, or down, at water, to discover one kind. While you yourself may find another type in images not presented here. For example, in a glass vase or a glass pitcher. The world behind a vase will be distorted in one way by looking through it, and then in another way if it is filled with water.

After viewing this exhibit, I hope you will reflect more on reflections.