e.e. cummings

dive for dreams
or a slogan may topple you
(trees are their roots
and wind is wind)

trust your heart
if the seas catch fire
(and live by love
though the stars walk backward)

honour the past
but welcome the future
(and dance your death
away at this wedding)

never mind a world
with its villains or heroes
(for god likes girls
and tomorrow and the earth)

Collect.Select.Reflect: The Office (British Version)

"It's better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb than half-way up one you don't."


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving or thought provoking. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

Milwaukee Art Museum: Street Scene

I took the opportunity to attend the opening of Street Seen: The Psychological Gesture in American Photography, 1940-1959 at the Milwaukee Art Museum on Thursday night. Lisa Hostetler, the curator of photographs for the museum, gave a terrific lecture and introduction to the exhibition.

This morning, I had the extreme pleasure of revisiting the museum, along with the students of MIAD's Professional Builder Photography's 20/20 Vision: The Humanity of the Moment class, for a personal gathering with one of the noted photographers in the exhibition, Saul Leiter. For being 87 years old, Saul is quite full of life and humor. It was truly a pleasurable experience to be able to hear him speak about his photographs and the relationships he's had with the people and places.


Reflection, 1958 © Saul Leiter

I would recommend that any one who has the opportunity to come visit Milwaukee and see the exhibit to do so. I may have more to say about the specifics once I get the opportunity to spend more time with the work!

I don't like the question "What do you like to photograph?" Haven't you listened to a word I've said? It isn't the What that is of importance but the Why.

Collect.Select.Reflect: Walker Percy

From The Delta Factor, an excerpt addressing the attempt to answer unanswerable questions...

"As it stands, it is nothing more than a few trails blazed through a dark wood, most dead-ended. I should consider it worthwhile even if it established no more than that there is such a wood - for not even that much is known now - and that it is very dark indeed."


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving or thought provoking. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

Collect.Select.Reflect: Marta Shumylo

Special Little Something © Marta Shumylo


"I've learned how to forget what uninspires me."


Marta is a fellow photography student at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and a friend to me as dear as the sun that shines on this earth. She inspires and amazes me every day. My experiences in Milwaukee and at MIAD would not have and would not be as rich as they are without her presence.
To Marta: thank you, moja lubov.


You can view more work from Marta Shumylo here.


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

Gertrude Series, 2009

Gertrude No. 1 © Aryn Kresol



Gertrude No. 2 © Aryn Kresol

Since reading Susan Sontag's On Photography I have been fascinated with the argument of whether photography - or what a photograph depicts - is capable of truth or is merely reality falsified. While one might anticipate that each photograph acts as a presentation of reality, whether of our own or of someone else's, it must be noted that there is a vast difference between what truth is and what is perceived as truth. The difference comes in accepting that the perception other people have of reality is different than our own.

Just as what we perceive influences what we believe to be true, so too does what we know influence what we perceive. As John Berger states in Ways of Seeing, "the relation between what we see and what we know if never settled." In other words, we see what we want to see; we see what we know.

By taking away the descriptive elements of the photograph, literally stripping away what is to be known, the viewer's attention can be drawn to their innate desire to decipher what it is that they are looking at. The photograph can embody some thing beyond visual description. It is not about what is seen, but instead about what is being perceived, about what they believe (or want to believe) they are seeing. The subject matter is not the subject but rather the viewer's perception of it.

Some thing may not always be seen, but some thing is always perceived. Whether what is perceived matches what would have been seen is not the matter. With this absence of clarity, it is a matter of gaining knowledge from your perceptions, not a matter of perceiving what you already know.

.aryn kresol.


Gertrude No. 3 © Aryn Kresol



Gertrude No. 4 © Aryn Kresol



Gertrude No. 6 © Aryn Kresol



Gertrude No. 7 © Aryn Kresol



Gertrude No. 8 © Aryn Kresol



Gertrude No. 9 © Aryn Kresol

Collect.Select.Reflect: Rainer Maria Rilke No.2

"Live the questions now. Perhaps, then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

Annie Rudolph Photography

11th Street © Annie Rudolph

I met Annie Rudolph in the Fall of 2006 when she was simultaneously in two of my classes at Rock Valley College in Rockford, IL, one of which happened to be a course in introductory photography. With Randy Paul-Petersen as our fateful leader, many of the students in that course formed a bond that extended beyond the classroom, of which I was and am grateful to be a part.


The Temptress in the Green Dress (Annie Rudolph) © Aryn Kresol

I have always admired Annie's ambition and never-ending enthusiasm for photography. She was one of the other photographers, along with Carrie Allen, with which I had a photography show in October 2009, Chris French Presents: Annie Rudolph, Aryn Kresol, and Carrie Allen.

Annie recently developed a website, which is the main motivation behind this post: a chance for me to share with others a person who has shared so much with me.

You can view Annie's work on her website: Annie Rudolph Photography
on Myspace
and on Facebook

.Robbie Martin Artwork.

© Photos by Aryn Kresol

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Robbie Martin, a ceramic artist that currently resides in Rockford, Illinois. He asked me to take some photographs of his pieces for use on a website and for personal selling. These images are the result of that request. I thought it important to share the work of another talented person living in Rockford, a place which is full of great potential namely because of the gifted people living there.

tell me what you read, i will tell you who you are.

© Aryn Kresol


Yes, all of these are my books.
No, these are not all of my books.

MIAD's Junior Photography Class

The Junior Photography majors Professional Practices class of the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, of which I am a part, have compiled semester-long projects into a web gallery for sharing and viewing. You can see the work, along with artist statements and bio pic of the photographer at the gallery sites below:

Gallery One

Gallery Two

.the absence of the sea.

i remember kisses, cuddles, the absence of the sea. and that once you really did love me.

i remember, written sunday, august 23, 2009

Collect.Select.Reflect: Arnold Newman

Max Ernst, New York, NY, 1942 © Arnold Newman


"Study the past, think about the present, and work your ass off."


Preparing for finals. Always searching for inspiration/motivation. This is the last push. Here we go!



Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

Collect.Select.Reflect: Abraham Lincoln

I can thank my mother for this one:

"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

The Butterfly Project: Awakening

Awakening No. 3 © Aryn Kresol

With this series, I am exploring the mental perception of the body by experimenting with its physical relation to itself. Visual or mental perception changes, just as the physical form. By literally intertwining the same form multiple times, I am able to create a new surface, a new body. This new development serves to emphasize the transformation of how one perceives one's own body as mental and physical growth is experienced. Awakening references an awareness of the body, a mental experience of one's physical self. We are not as we are but we are how we perceive ourselves to be.

.aryn kresol.



Awakening No. 1 © Aryn Kresol



Awakening No. 2 © Aryn Kresol



Awakening No. 4 © Aryn Kresol



Awakening No. 5 © Aryn Kresol

he loves me not

he loves me not © Aryn Kresol

Collect.Select.Reflect: Rainer Maria Rilke

Untitled © Aryn Kresol

"Therefore, dear Sir, love your solitude and try to sing out with the pain it causes you. For those who are near you are far away... and this shows that the space around you is beginning to grow vast... be happy about your growth, in which of course you can't take anyone with you, and be gentle with those who stay behind; be confident and calm in front of them and don't torment them with your doubts and don't frighten them with your faith or joy, which they wouldn't be able to comprehend. Seek out some simple and true feelings of what you have in common with them, which doesn't necessarily have to alter when you yourself change again and again; when you see them, love life in a form that is not your own and be indulgent toward those who are growing old, who are afraid of the aloneness that you trust... and don't expect any understanding; but believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it."


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

The Butterfly Project: Cocoon

Cocoon No.1 © Aryn Kresol



Cocoon No.2 © Aryn Kresol



Cocoon No.3 © Aryn Kresol



Cocoon No.4 © Aryn Kresol



Cocoon No.5 © Aryn Kresol


I will be writing about this series soon.
The Butterfly Project is a series consisting of multiple chapters.
It is a work in progress.

Interview with Aline Smithson

Favorite Condiment © Aline Smithson

I had the tremendous pleasure of interviewing photographer Aline Smithson. Smithson resides on the "Left Coast" of the United States. She is productive both in the practice and the study of photography, as is evident by viewing her website and very active photo blog Lenscratch. Her variety in subject matter is telling of her hyper curiosity for life. Her enthusiastic exploration of photography and photographers is a true inspiration for those interested in the medium.


Aryn Kresol: The extent of work on your website is quite impressive. You seem to be very purposeful about the ideas you pursue. Does most of your work initially come from preconceived ideas or do you find yourself producing work without a predetermined purpose and find one along the way?

Aline Smithson: I work both ways, usually starting from an idea and then I shoot a couple of images and if it feels right, I continue. Sometimes I'll spontaneously produce an image, find resonance in what I've done, and continue the exploration. It's all pretty organic, but I do think it helps to have an intention...as a project evolves, there is a voice in my head that constantly discusses what I am doing and that helps me flush out my intention.


The Secret Language, from In Case of Rain © Aline Smithson

Aryn Kresol: As the daughter of a librarian and the patron of a library currently in economic crisis, I have a connection with your In Case of Rain series. Do you find connections with other photographer's work and can you give an example of such a connection?

Aline Smithson: Honestly, I feel more connected to painters, especially James McNeil Whistler - not just for his portraits, but for his gestural landscapes and influences from Japanese imagery. I have a wall of inspirational images over my desk and many are postcards of paintings, postcards of hand painted Japanese photographs, or vernacular images by unknown photographers.
Lately I have been drawn to personal work dealing with family--Phil Todelano's work, Days with My Father, Doug DuBois, Tierney Gearon, Elizabeth Fleming, Jack Radcliffe. I recently wrote essays on this subject for Fraction Magazine and Too Much Chocolate.

Aryn Kresol: In the same vein, are there any photographers who have had a profound impact on your photographic life?

Aline Smithson: In my Fashion Editor life, definitely Mario Testino. He was a complete pleasure to work with and had such enthusiasm about his work and it taught me a lot about working with people. That kind of personality is infectious and makes everyone excited to create a singular vision as a team. Patrick Demarchelier and Arthur Elgort were pretty great to work with too--and though I didn't work with them, Guy Bourdin, Penn, and Avedon were visual influences.
I think when I was beginning my own photography career, I was most influenced by Matt Mahurin and Keith Carter (I only shot in black and white for many years). Matt Mahurin's work gave me permission to create and print images that were dark--I've always been drawn to ominous and quirky images, and his really resonated with me. For years, I had Matt's photographs of Marilyn Manson (from a story in Rolling Stone) over my desk, sort of as an inspiration for creating work that was "off". Keith Carter resonated with me because he approached his subjects with such compassion and dignity. My current favorites are Jan von Holleben who celebrates life and children with a disregard of traditional approaches and Oliver J. Laude for his quirky and humorous approach to his work.

Aryn Kresol: Do you consider yourself an artist or a photographer? Or both? What, for you, is the distinction between the two?

Aline Smithson: My eduction was as an artist, though when I reflect on my influences in college, they were definitely artist's that used photography. John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, and William Wegman were artist/photographers that I admired. When I was in college, no one considered being just a photographer. As an artist, you had permission to use all mediums--lithography combining photography, painting combining photography, or just straight photography--but it was art based. At this point, I consider myself both, though if someone asks what I do for a living, I just say I'm a photographer.


People I Don't Know #5 © Aline Smithson

Aryn Kresol: The People I Don't Know series most definitely speaks of your personal style; within it the viewer can see reoccurring compositions and lighting attractions. Is this a tendency that you are conscious of when you are photographing or is it intuitive?

Aline Smithson: That was an early series and I discovered the importance of light as an element that evoked more complex images. Since I didn't have any formal photography education, or a community to exchange ideas with, there was much on-the-spot learning. Working through that series did, indeed, create a consciousness about how I wanted to present the images--though very little was planned in advance. I just looked for ways to connect the images when I was in the moment.


Life, from In Case of Rain © Aline Smithson

Aryn Kresol: You expressed interest in photographs that accompany articles, books, and such. Are you interested in the text? Or do you solely read the photographs?

Aline Smithson: Honestly, I always look at the photographs first, but I will read the story or the essay if it is of interest. If you are going to create images to accompany text, you should be reading the text! I am interested in image that begin to tell a story, but don't give away the ending, that are intriguing enough to make you want to read the text. I have to admit, I've purchased books because of the cover image.

Aryn Kresol: Does more of your work come from external influences or from internal curiosities?

Aline Smithson: Both, though probably more from external influences. I'm a visual learner and person. My husband will often have to remind me to stop looking at strangers for too long--I am so fascinated with life and people. I'm always taking in the world and thinking about what I'm looking at. I often take those external influences and make them internal curiosities.


Moving Through Life © Aline Smithson

Aryn Kresol: Do you still shoot with film? Mainly or Solely? If you do work digitally, do you feel a difference between the works you produce traditionally to that which you produce digitally?

Aline Smithson: I only shoot with film. And my cameras are pretty old--I use a Rolleiflex from the 1950s and a Hasselblad that could be from the 1980s. It just feels right. I have noticed that my students who shoot digital don't take the time or make an effort to slow down and really think about what they are producing...and the other thing I've noticed, is that many digital photographers have never made prints--I find that unbelievable. The darkroom, and the artistry behind printing, is an important part to committing to the image and elevating it to another level. I don't shoot as much random imagery these days, due to the cost of developing film, and that's where digital images would help. I do own a digital camera and have never used it.


Fur © Aline Smithson

Aryn Kresol: As a photographer and a mother, your children are at times present in your work. Do your children enjoy being photographed, or is it something that they tolerate?

Aline Smithson: My daughter has always been a willing partner--though I did a series of her wearing an enormous gold Thai hat in various locations, and had to pay her $1 per shoot! My son begrudgingly allows me to photograph him, but i know he's happy with the images--especially since he made the cover of a magazine. I am grateful to have chronicled their lives through my art.


My immense thanks to Aline for her generous answers!

Side note: Look to the link list for more interviews with Aline as well as other wonderful photographers.

.11.11.

aryn © Marta Shumylo

11.11 / a day of wishing.

i'm wishing for metaphorical clear skies. i'm wishing for rain on my windowpane. i'm wishing for productivity. i'm wishing for sunflowers. i'm wishing for courage. i'm wishing for optimism. i'm wishing for patience. i'm wishing for florence. i'm wishing for you. i'm wishing for me without you.

Collect.Select.Reflect: Zoriah Miller.

From Architecture of War story © Zoriah Miller


"You don't always know where you are going, but if you keep moving forward, you end up getting there."



In the manner of war photographer James Natchwey, Zoriah Miller became a photographer to tell the stories of people during conflict. This motivation to capture the pains and one of the most devastating realities of human behavior stems from the responsibility the photographer feels to the people involved; as Zoriah Miller stated in an interview by The Denver Waldorf School, "I think that showing the daily lives of those who are truly affected by war is my responsibility" [1]. It is this responsibility that keeps Miller motivated to produce the work that he does. His purpose is "Documenting Life in Conflict" and he has dozens of photographic was stories that do just that. But these stories serve not only to cater to those to which the war has a direct impact but also serve to inform those who are, themselves distanced from the conflict.



From War in Afghanistan story © Zoriah Miller


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

Review: Chris French Presents: Annie Rudolph, Aryn Kresol, Carrie Allan

Yesterday I came across a review for the photography show myself and a group of my friends organized last month in Rockford IL. You can view information and images about the show on one of my previous blog posts here.
The view was written by Alex Danger Stewart, who I actually met at the show. I will include the text from the review here, but if you would like to view it in its original format - which I suggest you do - you can find it on Sock Monkey Sound.


Chris French Presents: Annie Rudolph, Aryn Kresol, and Carrie Allan

Review by Alex Danger Stewart

Every fall, there’s a thing in Rockford called Art Scene in which lots of (mostly downtown) businesses showcase the art of local talent. There’s always a pretty sizeable contingent of boring older lady art. Always at least one artist who puts a spin on graffiti and tagging culture. Jesus Correa (that odd fellow who ran for mayor. No, not the one who built his own house. The skinny one) usually shows some good work. And he wears a shirt with kittens on it, so you get a twofer. It’s the usual, ‘get the city to support the arts for one weekend so they feel better about themselves,’ deal. You’ve heard the speech, “Blah blah blah. Civic improvements. Culture. Etc.” Here’s what you need to know: Some places have terrible, boring art. Others don’t. Most have free wine. That’s what makes art galleries awesome. Predicting which locations will have great things to look at and which ones will not tends to be a somewhat haphazard practice. That’s why I just go where my friends and acquaintances are. This becomes much easier as my friends spend less time playing Halo and more time being proactive.

For their first year hosting an event, Chris French and Vixen Productions have chosen three talented young photographers, each exploring different aspects of the medium. The photographs of Annie Rudolph show a command of light and form that belie a mastery of both technology and a strong eye for composition. She also had really cool frames. I am loathe to use the word ‘surrealistic’ for any art that doesn’t actually fit into the Surrealism movement; but it does become a somewhat apt way to describe Carrie Allen’s work. Her photographs appear almost as evocative glimpses into wider stories. I heard she sold one piece for $40. That’s the same price as an average television DVD, so I hope she spends it wisely. Aryn Kresol steps from reality even further. She uses such real world objects as bodies, faces, and furniture in an almost abstract manner that suggests new forms and deeper thoughts and emotions.

Vixen cleared out their studio and turned it into a venue that was open, well lit, and equipped with adequate seating. Also there were sandwiches. That was pretty tremendous. The wine was surprisingly good for something that came from giant bottles (I’m by no means a connoisseur. My favorite variety is white. But I also enjoy red). After writing the first draft, I promised Chris French ( referred to as “C” from now on) a positive review, so I’m going to keep my complaints to a minimum. The only problem that really arose was that, at one point on Friday, a few drunkards took over the iTunes and started playing Alanis Morissette songs and singing along in a very loud manner. In their defense, C’s password was super easy to figure out.
To that end, I had a very good time and hope that Chris French and the fine folks at Vixen Productions take part in the Art Scene again next year. One could also hope that they might be swayed to consider a performance art installation.

On an unrelated note, my band, Boys Like Jason; are now billing themselves as performance artists.

Score: 7 out of 9 Alfred Steiglitzes

Again, you should look to the site. Sock Monkey Sound. There are also many other interesting things to see!

Thanks for the review!

© Aryn Kresol.

Garry Winogrand said "I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed." This statement very much reflects my own motivation behind this piece. When an idea occurs to me, I have to pursue it. Even if it turns out unfruitful, the process is still a means to quell the compulsion. Often times, as photographers, we have a certain vision (at least with pre-considered pieces) of what we want a photograph to look like. And often times, the resulting photograph is not how we first envisioned. This was not one of those times.
The construction was fairly simple: between the camera and subject, a piece of glass. Onto this piece of glass, the subject released a stream of water creating the ripples and distortion you see here. The glass acts as a barrier but also a part of the space - a place for visual engagement and interaction, not just for the subject of the photograph but for the viewer as well.
When this idea occurred to me, it was a tiny voice in my head asking, "I wonder if...". The question crept its way into my head and the only means of answering was to pursue it. I was pleased when the final image coincided with what I had previously envisioned. Ask me now what I learned when I photographed this and I will answer that I learned what this looks like photographed.

Collect.Select.Reflect: Ruth Bernhard.

Perspectives II © Ruth Bernhard

"I think what I'd probably like to be known for is that 'She loved life.' That's a pretty good thing to have loved."

For almost as long as I have been interested in photography I have been fascinated with nude photography. It was surprising to me, then, that I was not aware of Ruth Bernhard's work until my mentor, Randy Paul-Petersen, introduced me to it last year.
What amazes me about her work is how she arranges the form, turning the body into a landscape where light settles and hides.


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

happy once more.

i remember that morning when i crawled in beside you, your covers already pleasant with your warmth, and you put your arm across my stomach and snuggled your lips close to my shoulder and i looked up to the ceiling and saw the morning light coming through the window above our heads and felt what it was to be happy once more.

i remember, written tuesday, november 3, 2009

Addicted: Duane Michals.

I am completely addicted to this man and his work. And I am particularly, as of late, addicted to this photograph.


Duane Michals.

Duane Michals is a photographer and a writer. Since the beginning of his photographic career in the early 1960s, Michals has been committed to his personal ambitions and in the process has redefined the medium for himself. Lacking in any formal training, Michals allowed himself to explore photography on his own terms, and resisted the conventional work at the time from photographers such as Ansel Adams, Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, and William Eggleston.

For Duane Michals, it is not enough to see a photograph. In contrast to a photographer like Elliot Erwitt, who believes that photography is not about thinking but about discovering - that "thinking is bad for taking pictures," [1] Michals believes that photography has everything to do with what is in the mind, not what is seen with the eyes; as Michals says, "the way [he] viewed life was really quite different than looking at life" [2].

With his photographs, Duane Michals attempts to communicate more than visual observation. His interests lie less in the visual appearance of an object or of an action and more in the feeling or motives behind it. His curiosities extend to topics such as desire, time, youth, loss, and death. His work more often than not expands passed the single image and utilizes sequences to fully construct his ideas.

Though it can be said that Michals is more well known for his sequential imagery, subject mater varying from heavy concepts to light, witty satire, he was also fruitful in his production of single images. A reoccurring theme in Michals' work is that of loss. These images are imbued with a sense of nostalgia and yearning. One such image is Michal's This Photograph is My Proof. In this photograph, Michals confronts the viewer with an image of one man and one woman, sitting beside one another on a bed, her arms wrapped around him, with the following handwritten text: "This photograph is my proof. There was that afternoon, when things were still good between us, and she embraced me, and we were so happy. It did happen. She did love me. Look, see for yourself!" Michals is using the photographic medium to document an event which is to be taken for reality (although it would not be inaccurate to say that Michals is more well known for his less straight forward works). The piece hits the viewer square in the chest with nostalgia. It is affective because the image has multiple layers. The photograph itself acts as a facade of happiness, while the message that Michals conveys is one of nostalgia, sadness, and doubt. I find this image and conjoining message to be deeply moving because it makes me think of myself in familiar circumstances; it takes me beyond just seeing the photograph and to actually feeling what those words mean. The text is almost desperate in its need to be believed. The last sentence, "Look, see for yourself!" is emphasized, expressing some need of validation, some way of solidifying the veracity of the once relationship. It seems to carry a sense of urgency. It seems haunted with doubt.

It is images like this that separate Duane Michals from the rest of the pack. As a person who draws as much inspiration from literature as I do from photography, I find his pairing of words and images to be terribly moving. He places the viewer in different positions: participant, observer, voyeur, and confidant. Questions of life (and afterlife) jump from his pages. It is with his work that Michals attempts to give access into his mind; Michals is pushing the viewer to consider the questions he proposes, questions he himself has about the world and his role in it.

If you are interested in learning more about Duane Michals and how he feels about his work, I would highly recommend watching the interview on pixchannel.com. There are many interviews with photographers such as Ruth Bernhard, Arnold Newman, Jerry Uelsmann, Elliot Erwitt, and more.

Collect.Select.Reflect: M.C. Escher

Three Worlds 1955 © M.C. Escher

"At moments of great enthusiasm it seems to me that no one in the world has ever made something this beautiful and important."


Collect.Select.Reflect: As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to share here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

Cloud Sequence No 1, 2009 © Aryn Kresol

This is what it feels like. This is what is there. This is what is not. This is what is fleeting. This is what is lost. Do you see it leaving? Only once it's gone. A happening. An object. A love.

.Epiphany, September 2009.

Epiphany, September 2009 © Aryn Kresol

am i capable of loving but incapable of love?

Gallery Night: Friday, October 16th.

I had the pleasure of visiting several openings during Gallery Night last Friday, October 16th in Milwaukee. Among the visited were Imagination Giants, RECONNECTION: An exhibition of Alumni work showing at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Francis Ford's The Life Boat, and Chris Miller's Out of Place presented by JW Lawson at the WAR ROOM.

By my side were my friend and fellow photography student Marta Shumylo, Chicago graffiti artist Jorge Avila, and Rockford ceramic artist Robbie Martin, who I recently met during my photography show [Chris French Presents: Annie Rudolph, Aryn Kresol, and Carrie Allen] at the beginning of October.



Imagination Giants, showcasing the work of MIAD students created during a summer session in China - including notable works from fellow photography students Lara Ohland, Aimee Keil, and Wil Lewis - took place at the Pritzlaff building. You can read the collective statement for the show, written by Fred Dintenfass, HERE.


© Lara Ohland


© Aimee Keil

Lara and Aimee both wrote about their show in MIAD's Professional Practices class blog.

The night was a first time for me visiting a most of these locations, including the WAR ROOM, JW Lawson's studio. I had met JW in March of this year when he came to speak about some photographs he had up in the Perspectives Gallery at MIAD. It was a pleasure to finally get to visit the studio and I am looking forward to going back in the future.
Chris Miller's Out of Place runs until October 31st.

Francis Ford’s The Life Boat show took place at the Cedar Gallery on North Water Street. The exhibit includes large portraits (occupying two floors of the gallery) of some of Ford’s closest friends, people Ford stated that he would share a life boat with (I am assuming here that this would be if the world suddenly plunged under the sea).


Photographer Jim Brozek © Francis Ford


Soprano Victoria Benson © Francis Ford

Some of the images are witty or humorous, while others carry a more serious impression or air. The portraits truly have a life of their own. The man knows what he is doing. One of the few images – if not the only image, as I observed – that did not include the use of a backlight is particularly striking. The man in the photograph seems to be floating in space, although one can assume that he was seated like most of the other subjects of The Life Boat Show. His head jumps out of the print, seeming almost three dimensional. Each hair of his beard is alive, mostly white but sparked with black hairs. This portrait, as well as the others, pierces into the subject, and the subject pierces back. His eyes, eager and wide, penetrate into the viewer. One of my favorite portraits from the show – most likely for sentimental reasons, as it presents one of my MIAD instructors – is of photographer Robert Smith and his wife. Smith stares at the viewer with the same curious, wide-eyed gaze of a child. It is that engagement between the subject and the viewer that makes a successful portrait, and Francis Ford, in my opinion, is among the best of them.
The Life Boat show runs until December 5th at the Cedar Gallery (326 N Water Street) in Milwaukee.

Collect.Select.Reflect: Andre Kertesz

Polaroid series © Andre Kertesz

"I began shooting slowly, slowly, slowly. But soon, going crazy. I worked mornings and late afternoons. With the morning light the sky is nice, and in the late afternoon, full of variation. I would come out in the morning and shooting, shooting, shooting; no time to eat. I discover the time has gone and now breakfast. The same in the afternoon.....
I forget my medicine, loosing pain, losing hunger, and yes losing sadness."


Collect.Select.Reflect is not a new project. This is some thing that I have been doing for as long as I can remember - collecting words (words of others and words of my own). As some one who enjoys reading and soaking in words, I find that I am inspired as much by literature as I am by images. I am a walking quote dictionary. So I have decided to start sharing here. The words will not always be from photographers, but any that I find inspiring or moving. Or what I am obsessed with at the time. I hope these words are able to provide inspiration to others as they have for me.

Post Photography Show News!

My first photography show, Chris French Presents: Annie Rudolph, Aryn Kresol, Carrie Allen took place on Friday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 3rd at Vixen Productions in Rockford, Illinois. A big thank you to all those who made it out to see the work! We had an amazing team: Annie Rudolph, Carrie Allen, Chris French, Lonnie Iske [of Vixen Productions], and myself. We worked really hard to put together a fantastic show and it was wonderful to be able to share it. The space looked beautiful! Here is just an over view of the layout:

Annie Rudolph



*a special thank you to Jeremy Klonicki for creating the frames for Annie Rudolph.

Aryn Kresol




Carrie Allen


The days and evenings were spectacular. I met a lot of new and interesting people who have a shared love of art and photography; among them local photographer Pablo Korona and artist Robbie Martin, who I am going to be doing some work for in the near future. I was also able to spend some time talking about work and the show with my former photography instructor from Rock Valley College and mentor, Randy Paul-Petersen.







Chris French Presents: Success! [from left] Annie Rudolph, Lonnie Iske, Chris French, Aryn Kresol, Carrie Allen.





Look for another photography show for Rockford ArtScene, Spring 2010!

Photography Show!

My first photography show runs this Friday and Saturday, October 2nd and 3rd. I'm terribly excited!

Click here to view the Facebook event page.

Join Vixen Productions and Rockford area photographers Annie Rudolph, Aryn Kresol, and Carrie Allen as they showcase original works Friday, October 2nd and Saturday, October 3rd. From 3pm-11pm. At 514 E State Street. Rockford IL.
The event will run the same days as the Rockford Art Scene, and the space is located in downtown Rockford, across from the Irish Rose and Brio, so stop in while you are out and about!
Complimentary beverages and appetizers will be served.

Aryn Kresol Photography
Annie Rudolph Photography
Carrie Allen Photography

.once, on a piece of paper.

"don't you think that it's better to be extremely happy for a short while, than to be just okay for your whole life?"

.audrey niffeneggar.

.pretty poetry lady.

i met some one last night. well, re-met.
i joined a few of my friends and went to the open mic at brocach (on n water).
there, i was absolutely amazed as i was introduced to the music of allison wichmann.
i met allie a few weeks back, but was pleasantly surprised to meet a new side of her.
i cannot express is words what an experience it was.
it was the most beautiful thing i have ever laid ears on.