James Cook Art and Photography » environmental

Destin(y) Florida

James Cook — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:21:15 +0000

Destin has become somewhat of an overgrown tourist/retirement community but the beach is still there and you can find moments of solitude if you try.

Artist’s Statement: Horizons

James Cook — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:20:26 +0000

Having lived all my life in the Midwest, I see the horizon as not just a line where the earth meets the sky but as a presence that surrounds us. As someone who loves to travel, I am drawn to the horizon both as a destination and as a photographic subject. I find myself acutely aware of its presence (or absence). These photos represent a few of the horizons that I have been drawn to. To me they represent both yearning and peace.

Stone Post: Kansas

James Cook — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:20:15 +0000

For me Kansas used to be just that long stretch of highway 70 between here and Colorado but the more time I spend in (and passing through) the state, the more beauty I find there.

Rural Free Delivery

James Cook — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:06:42 +0000

Traveling across a lonely section of Wyoming, I was struck by this man-made intrusion upon the harsh but beautiful landscape. Something about the red mailbox in particular spoke to me about the hopes and aspirations of the people who choose to call this area home.

Refinery

James Cook — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:54:55 +0000

I grew up in Wood River, Illinois where the horizon was dominated by the local refineries which is perhaps why I can often see beauty where most people might see a dreary industrial landscape.

Liquid Sunshine

James Cook — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:48:16 +0000

Another collaborative work with Pat Quinn based upon our original photos and digital manipulation by both artists.

Legend of A Mind

James Cook — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:58:23 +0000

From the Moody Blues:

“Timothy Leary’s dead.

No, no, no, no, He’s outside looking in.”

Breathe

James Cook — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:14:37 +0000

A post-apocalyptic look at the environment with a hope for environmental redemption.

The Rorschach Series

James Cook — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:14:44 +0000

Artist’s Statement

I originally named this series because the early images – produced by folding, mirroring and overlaying existing images – called to mind the familiar inkblots of the Rorschach psychological test.

The name took on greater significance when I realized that, as an image became less recognizable, its original meaning became lost and new, more ambiguous meanings emerged. Often, those new meanings seemed to be projected onto the image by the viewer, revealing more about what the viewer brought to the image than what the image presented to the viewer.

As the artist, I experience these same in meaning shifts (sometimes several per image) during the creation of each piece. Occasionally I am able control the process but usually I find myself experimenting until the image “lets me know” what it wants to be. Often I find that what emerges connects deeply with my personal response to a memory, another work of art or even a bit of popular music. Those connections are often reflected in the titles I have given the works.

Barbie O’Keefe

James Cook — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:45:47 +0000

Created as a collaborative work with Pat Quinn for the “Flowers” exhibit at the Edwardsville Arts Center.