A couple of years ago, I attended a day long seminar in the Boston area. Ruth Clegg was one of the three speakers. I was inspired by her work and her approach to photography. She incorporated printmaking into her world, not just the darkroom kind of photographic prints but the process of creating prints by making impressions on paper. At the time, I’d never seen anyone do that with photography, only with stencils. I loved the quality of those carefully crafted prints.
What also inspired me about Ruth’s work was her sense of experimentation. A great deal of her time is spent on the water in Rhode Island as well as the Adirondacks. She shared with us a project that she had been working on to photograph underneath the water while in her kayak. I was excited to be able to see the result of the project recently at the View Center for the Arts in Old Forge, NY. I loved the work so much, I’ve been to see it twice.
What inspired me about Ruth’s exhibit is the uncommon view she provided of a world we don’t normally see. The quality of light in the images, as well as her choices for printing, were also fascinating to me.
If you are anywhere near Old Forge, NY, even within a 100 miles or so, treat yourself and see her exhibit before it closes October 16. If you can’t make it in person, enjoy a selection of the images here.
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