Bennett Photo Arts Artist Statement

The Spirit Of Nature

Being in nature has always brought me to center. This simple relationship brings about a clarity that enables me to move forward with a new idea or inkling of brilliance that is revealing itself to me.
I have come to believe that nature is truth.

My response to the wonders of the natural world has always had a child like “Wow” quality.
The natural world has something to offer us. It shows itself in a variety of ways and moods
that fuel my emotional response while humbling me with it’s grandeur.

I always carry my camera when I go into nature and look for those moments or places that cause me to say wow. I feel that my images reveal the spirit of nature, let alone it’s patient power and subtleties.
I find myself focusing on finding and portraying views of nature and the world around us that have some element of the human form with the intent of creating a connection between viewer and image. I enjoy dispalying the surreal and creating mystery to tell a story that enable the viewer to develope an
intimacy with the image.

Some images shown here were captured on 35mm Fuji Velvia Slide Film.
Since May of 2006 I have been using a digital camera. Slides are scanned on a high resolution
scanner to digitize them. Very little digital tweaking of the images has taken place,
only what’s necessary to enhance the qualities of the image. The images are then
printed using a large format inkjet printer using archival inks and papers. In some cases the
film has been push processed to change how it responds to light and color.

I have been practicing photography since the early 1980's. My interest in the natural world was
sparked when sharing a fall hike with other's interested in photography to the top of
Old Rag Mt., Virginia in 1986. Over the years I have studied figurative drawing and photography.
After spending many years working in computer aided drafting I decided to return to school
to complete my BA Degree in 2001 at The Evergreen State College where I studied Art History,
Oil Painting, Sculpture, Metalsmithing, Printmaking, and Photography.
A few of my artistic influences are Galen Rowell, Sabastiao Salgado, Johannes Vermeer,
Marcel Duchamp, as well as many of the Venitian painters of 18th century.

Originally from Virginia, I moved to Olympia, WA in 1996. After spending much time hiking
in the Appalacians I visited an old friend in Olympia and became enraptured with the
Pacific Northwest prompting the move.

Julie Bennett
Artist Photographer