|
Photography by Bob Swanson Opening May 24, 2007 as part of the Weed Arts Collaborative celebration of The Siskiyou Land Trust's inaugural event and art show at the Weed Mercantile Mall, "An Unseen Weed" will be presented at Swanson Images, 284 Main St., Weed California from 4PM to 7PM. For more information about the other events in Weed that night go to www.weedarts.org. Hidden Beauty The patterns of decay and detritus of trauma certainly leave their mark on people and places, yet, revealed in the scars is, the beauty of the strength that adversity brings. The purpose of showing the places of Weed in these photographs is to reveal the beauty and tenacity of a town whose spirit, though deeply hurt, has withstood the shocks and despair of an unkind history of fires, closures and economic uncertainty to stay determined to find renewal. This spirit is contained in the facades, the streets, and the unkempt ruins as it shows itself to those that take a moment to get past that first rough impression... Weed, the town, its spirit and people are indeed a thing of beauty. I hope to show a small part of this in the photographs presented here. To a great extent, this is where art and history meet. Each building, each fire hydrant, symbol on a door, has a significance given to us by those who have gone before. Individually and collectively they tell where they have been and possibly hint at where we may go. As cycles of revitalization and decay go by, layers are accumulated and can be seen in all the things, large and small, around us although obscured by the chaos of a moment. I hope to offer a different view to help cut through the surface and reveal a deeper perspective... This show is intended to grow and interpret the town from the present and into the past, hopefully helping to assist in building the future. I seek anyone who sees in these photographs reminders of the past to share their knowledge of the places and people and contribute some words or even historical photos to help us see the life pulse of this small city in an ever clearer way. Simple stories of places and people can often help foster greater understanding and, in this case, building of a more united community . It is sad to see divisiveness in a place where unity needs to be the most important thing of all. It is my fervent hope that in some small way this project can help bring together, those with diverse ideas and approaches to make Weed an even more beautiful place and make it far more seen than unseen. Press Release Statement "An Unseen Weed" A Hidden Beauty The purpose of showing the places of Weed in these photographs is to reveal the beauty and tenacity of a town rising from adversity... This spirit is contained in the facades, the streets, and unkempt ruins as it shows itself to those that take a moment to get past that first rough impression... This work is intended to grow and interpret the town from the present and into the past, hopefully helping to assist in building the future... For the Weed Arts Collaborative's March 17th joint openings, Bob Swanson will present a sneak preview of an extensive photographic art show still in progress about Weed from a different perspective. A 12 foot long panorama of the Log Deck and industrial area will be featured along with various samples of the images being compiled. |