Willson Cummer
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American, born 1968
Projects/Portfolios
Dawn Light
Introduction
In late July of 2012, a five-month depression suddenly lifted. I was able to wake up in the morning with energy, eager to explore the day. I soon began to photograph the early morning light as it fell upon Fayetteville, NY, my hometown. I walked from my front door and occasionally drove a bit further into the village. I wanted to see the territory closest at hand.
Light is a fundamental ingredient for photography. It has also, for centuries, been used as a metaphor for healing and recovery.
As a recovering depressive, I wanted to explore the dawn light on a metaphorical level. As an artist, I wanted to record the gorgeous cross-light of the early morning and the rich yellow hue of the direct light.
I was attracted to humble structures: gas stations, parking lots and aging commercial buildings. The interplay of the natural world and the built environment is a subject which continues to excite me.
From My Front Door
Introduction
These pictures are made within walking distance of my home in Fayetteville, New York, a suburb of Syracuse. I imagine my neighborhood is similar to thousands of neighborhoods around the world, and so perhaps my meanderings will have some value for others.
The presence of Henry David Thoreau, who detailed his immediate neighborhood in Walden, is always with me. I’m also returning to my roots: the first roll of film I shot, 35 years ago, was taken while delivering newspapers on foot near my home in Cayuga Heights, a suburb of Ithaca, New York.
I have always been drawn to places where the natural world intersects the manmade and so the suburb is perfect for me. My wife and I also live across the street from a large state park, and so I have opportunity to walk though a natural area — even if it is one defined and constricted by society.
I certainly enjoy the great national parks in the US, and take joy in the majesty of a sunset. But it seems more important to me to find inspiration in a thin layer of snow over blacktop, a telephone pole, a wooden fence and some vinyl siding. Those are my surroundings and I insist on creating images of them that intrigue me.
Pierogi, Brooklyn, NY, United States
Parking Garages, Willson Cummer, Blurb, San Francisco, CA, 2008
Artist Statement
Many of my pictures are made within walking distance of my home in Fayetteville, New York, a suburb of Syracuse. I imagine my neighborhood is similar to thousands of neighborhoods around the world, and so perhaps my meanderings will have some value for others.
I have always been drawn to places where the natural world intersects the manmade and so the suburb is perfect for me. My wife and I also live across the street from a large state park, and so I have opportunity to walk though a natural area — even if it is one defined and constricted by society.
I certainly enjoy the great national parks in the US, and take joy in the majesty of a sunset. But it seems more important to me to find inspiration in a thin layer of snow over blacktop, a telephone pole, a wooden fence and some vinyl siding. Those are my surroundings and I insist on creating images of them that intrigue me.
Willson Cummer is a fine-art photographer, curator and teacher who lives in Fayetteville, NY, near Syracuse. Images from his projects have been included in national juried exhibitions. His first solo New York City show opened in December 2011 at OK Harris, in Soho. He had a solo show at Light Work, in Syracuse, in 2013. Willson's work explores humanity's place in the environment.
Willson’s projects and resume are online at www.WillsonCummer.com. He curates and publishes the blog New Landscape Photography, at www.NewLandscapePhotography.com. Willson has taught at Light Work, Syracuse University and Cazenovia College.
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