The series of four photographs is my attempt to uncover the essence of Evergreen Cemetery in terms of place and time in the midst of ongoing life. The place is largely defined by the presence of majestic oak trees, draped with Spanish moss, sometimes nearly touching the scattered graves. The outstretched branches form a canopy of life, which can provide a sense of grounding and continuity as one faces the challenge of life and death. As a result, oak trees, dressed in Spanish moss, appear in all four photos. To imbue the images with a sense of timelessness, one photo was done in completely desaturated color, which gives it a numinous black-and-white appearance. The other three were done in high key, slightly desaturated color, which is somewhat reminiscent of travel postcards of long ago.
Biography
I am a regional artist, who works from life as a creative photographer and an oil painter. When creating an image, I attempt to explore the “what is” of my subject, hoping to capture a sense of truth and authenticity. As an undergraduate I studied drawing, painting, and photography and have since participated in photography and painting classes and workshops. I have also worked as faculty in the area of research methods and applied statistics at the University of Texas at Austin and at the University of Florida. I am married to David Miller and between us we share six children and a little, red dog, Willow.
