Brothers and Sisters, I am a Generation X-er native to Akron in “The Rustbelt” region of Northeast Ohio. “The Rustbelt”, while it isn’t paradise, is home to me. I have experienced and understand the process of postindustrial decline and renewal of this region during the latter stage of the 20th century. The progressive transformational effects of capitalism and social values do not happen here at a rapid pace. They move slowly, if they move at all. This region is constantly playing catch up with other areas and similar markets of the United States. Even though revitalization occurs here, there is still an abundance of entities from past centuries that still endure today.Throughout their lifespan all entities evolve from their original physical state of materialization until their demise. That is reality. That is the circle of life. Beauty is here. Beauty is everywhere.
All beings face extremes and strive to endure because the will to live is basic and universal. Humans are blessed with the ability to find clarity at different stages of their lives. In Fyodor Dosoevesky’s philosophical novel The Idiot it was proclaimed by the main character, Prince Myskin, “beauty will save the world.” This simplistic phrase is considered a prophecy by some. Hearing these words gave me clarity and optimism. Why can’t beauty save the world? Doesn’t beauty already incrementally make the world a better place? If the world will be saved by beauty then the world will be sustained by love because beauty is love and love is beauty. I have devoted my artistic abilities to the creation of beautiful photographs as works of art in order to help save the world.
Each entity rides a different wave of existence here on Earth. It is my belief natural and man-made entities, in all of their manifestations, are formed by their creator with an intended purpose for their lifetime. My endeavor, entitled “Project Belvedere”, (Belvedere; Italian for beautiful view; derives from two Italian words, bel, which means "beautiful," and vedere, which means "view.") is my ongoing photographic mission that has the sole objective of capturing elements of beauty about the wide-ranging entities that are present among the land and scenery within the urban, suburban and rural areas of the ordinary world. Project Belvedere allows me to share this beauty that I have recorded as a photograph. Out of reverence for the documentary and street photographers of the 20th century, I treat my digital camera as if it were loaded with a roll of old-fashioned Kodachrome 35mm slide film. I capture beauty by composing my photographs using the available elements of our planet; illumination, space, time, surface and color.
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