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Dear
Cole,
Since my last newsletter I've
been up and down both coasts of Florida and
visited the small island of Guanaja in
Honduras. In this newsletter I'm introducing
new images from these adventures.
Visiting
other countries really causes one to think about
what's important in life and to count your
blessings. You cannot help but wonder: "What
if I had been born here, what would my life be
like?"
~
I
came across a wonderful quote that I'd like to
share with you:
"True artists pick
their own perspectives - they live and love their
ways even if they must live and love alone.
Praise and applause are not priorities of artists:
what matters most is the fulfillment that comes
with being oneself." Michael William Nebab,
NYU Student
Letting go of what
others think is a incredibly liberating feeling,
in art and in life.
~
Many of
you have seen the movie Invictus, the story of
Nelson Mandela's efforts to bring together a
divided South Africa. Central to the theme
of the movie is the poem Invictus, written in 1875
by William Ernest Henley.
At the age
of 12, Henley became a victim of tuberculosis of
the bone. A few years later the disease
progressed to his foot, and physicians announced
that the only way to save his life was to amputate
directly below the knee. In 1867 he successfully
passed the Oxford local examination as a senior
student. In 1875 he wrote the "Invictus" poem from
a hospital bed.
Invictus
(Latin for
"unconquered")
Out of the night
that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to
pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my
unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of
circumstance
I have not winced nor cried
aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My
head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this
place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror
of the shade,
And yet the menace of the
years
Finds and shall find me
unafraid.
It matters not how strait the
gate,
How charged with punishments the
scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the
captain of my soul.
I first read this poem at 17 and it has
always reminded me that I am the one in control;
not fate, not chance, not other
people.
Cole
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The Lone
Man - New Images
(Lone Man
No. 37 - Guanaja, Honduras -
2010)
In
my last newsletter I prematurely pronounced my " Lone Man" series
complete. We were diving the
north side of Guanaja, an isolated spot that
is accessible only by boat, when we came
across a bar in the middle of nowhere. The
" Green Flash" was a welcome
site and while enjoying a cold Coke I saw
this scene and immediately thought "Lone
Man." Ironically, I created this second
Lone Man image (below) just a few miles away on an
isolated sandy beach. Apparently
I'm not done with this portfolio just
yet. |
 (Lone Man No. 35 -
Guanaja, Honduras -
2010)
|
Harbinger -
New Images (Harbinger
No. 12 - Eastern Florida Coast -
2009)
While in
Florida I was lucky enough to find two new Harbingers, and as summer
approaches I'll be roaming the west looking for
additional ones.
As this series matures, my
thoughts turn more and more to the artist
statement which I need to complete. I've
never been a fan of elaborate or long statements,
as it seems to me the viewer should determine for
themselves what the images are saying. Right
now my artist statement simply reads:
Harbinger:
\ˈhär-bən-jər\
noun
1. one that goes ahead
and makes
known the approach of another;
herald.
2.
anything that foreshadows a future event; omen;
sign.
I
could use your help on this; what are your
thoughts on the series and what the word Harbinger
means?
|
(Harbinger No. 13 -
Western Florida Coast -
2009)
|
Other New
Images
(Harry's Pelicans -
Florida - 2009)
This
image is named "Harry's Pelicans" in honor of
my friend and fantastic black and white
photographer Harry Hellas. While in
Florida I visited Harry and he joked about
photographers who come to Florida and photograph
birds. Ironically the next day I did just
that and so dedicate this image to "Brother
Harry." |
(Bonacca Town Tragedy -
Bonacca Town, Guanaja, Honduras -
2010)
|
(Miss Danielle -
Guanaja, Honduras -
2010)
|
Happenings
 (Guanaja Fern -
Guanaja, Honduras -
2010)♫ One of my
Auschwitz images ( Auschwitz No. 14) will appear
in the new book "Why Photographs Work" by George Barr. ♠
Several of my 30-Second Exposure images were
featured in the Singh-Ray Blog, along with my
reasons for using the Vari-ND filter for most of
my work. ∞ My blog recently featured
a controversial article entitled " Photographic Celibacy."
My blog takes a much different approach than my
newsletter, focusing more on the philosophies and
technical aspects of photographic
art. ∆ My work is featured in the
current issue of fotoblur Magazine. If
you enjoy photo-sharing websites, fotoblur has a
very positive and encouraging environment and the
work is really superb. ☼ I
still have one Epson 4800 printers available for
sale. If you have an interest, please
contact Matt Oke at Mail@RunTheGamut.net. For those
who are curious, I moved to the larger Epson
7900. ↄ I'll be raffling off (5)
copies of my lithographic poster " Old Car Interior" in
February. To enter, email me by
2/15/2010 and put in the subject line "Old Car
Interior Poster" and say "hello" while you're at
it! |
About Cole
Thompson Photography
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