artist statement
Life has always been about place for me - place as a way to understand who we are and how we relate to the world. Every place has its own magic: the shimmering air rising from the sand of Namibia, the fog rolling in off Puget Sound, the soft caress of a Kauai sunrise. Since childhood I have been fascinated by the potential of photographs to capture that magic. Not just the magic of the moment but the underlying magic that informs the moment.
While living in Washington DC in the early days of my library career I was also a serious photographer. I loved the excitement of making images out of light, the satisfaction of selling some of my work. Later when I became Director of Libraries for the cities of Atlanta and Cleveland I created libraries - places that have another kind of magic. I continued to shoot but became more a collector than a creator of photography.
Four years ago I rediscovered my passion for creating photographic art. I upgraded my equipment, learned how to shoot, process and print digitally, and took photography workshops with Nevada Weir, Jay Maisel, Mac Holbert, Art Wolfe, and others who pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Today I am based in Seattle and am still exploring the mystery of place. I continue to believe that to a great extent who you are depends on where you are. The images on this web site are of places, people in places (environmental portraits), and abstractions of places (the Seattle skies series). I am also experimenting with invented places.
Marilyn Gell Mason
Life has always been about place for me - place as a way to understand who we are and how we relate to the world. Every place has its own magic: the shimmering air rising from the sand of Namibia, the fog rolling in off Puget Sound, the soft caress of a Kauai sunrise. Since childhood I have been fascinated by the potential of photographs to capture that magic. Not just the magic of the moment but the underlying magic that informs the moment.
While living in Washington DC in the early days of my library career I was also a serious photographer. I loved the excitement of making images out of light, the satisfaction of selling some of my work. Later when I became Director of Libraries for the cities of Atlanta and Cleveland I created libraries - places that have another kind of magic. I continued to shoot but became more a collector than a creator of photography.
Four years ago I rediscovered my passion for creating photographic art. I upgraded my equipment, learned how to shoot, process and print digitally, and took photography workshops with Nevada Weir, Jay Maisel, Mac Holbert, Art Wolfe, and others who pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Today I am based in Seattle and am still exploring the mystery of place. I continue to believe that to a great extent who you are depends on where you are. The images on this web site are of places, people in places (environmental portraits), and abstractions of places (the Seattle skies series). I am also experimenting with invented places.
Marilyn Gell Mason
