There’s a deep satisfaction when a cohesive series comes together, and this is also a discussion I have enjoyed having with my photography students about their work.

When looking at a grouped display of multiple images, we want to give our viewers a pleasing continuity, a flow from one to the next. Beyond the subject, a consistency of tonality AND format are most important. This is what visually holds a series together, and also defines your Photographic Style.

When putting together NINE of my images for our group exhibition of NINE photographers, I looked through my recent favorites and thought about how they would fit together on the wall. As 12 inch squares, hanging in three rows of three, they would all be coming together to make one bigger SQUARE, so I began to consider TONALITY as the unifier.

The Show is appropriately called NINE

at pb&j Gallery in Atlanta’s Kirkwood Neighborhood

35 Howard Street SE, Atlanta, GA 30317

The Exhibition runs from Oct 21-Nov 22, 2017

open Thurs-Sat, 12-5 pm

In addition to the cool-toned limited color pallette,

Another connection is that each image has a pairing PARTNER IMAGE,

something that links it to other images within the group of NINE.

Can you figure out the PAIRS?

The subjects are from various places, in France, Italy and the USA, and all from locations where I love to take my Photography Workshop students. These cool-tone images of blues and greens were also choosen because they worked to energetically vibrate within the true square format I was shooting with. The iPhone lets me design with the border edges, incorporating them in as the image is shot. It is also an homage to shooting with film, and the lineage of my teachers who composed fully in camera and never would have dreamed of after-cropping. This tension to the edge and seeing how close you can get is addictive! The idea of this ending edge of the “film” with the delectably thin areas of tension and separation, between objects, but also in their proximity to the edge of the frame itself are what delights my eye. How close can I get and still not go over?! It is an ongoing exercise in every shot, and sometimes you nail the moment and many times you miss. It is the fun of the challenge that keeps us trying!

Here is my Artist Statement for the show:

WITHIN the SQUARE – by ROBIN DAVIS
Meditative in-camera compositions, fully utilizing the perfect geometries of the divine square.

Serendipitous alignments and light coincide, as the shapes of subject and environment meld within the pre-ordained square format. Robin’s cool toned images are created in the moment, and framed as in-camera compositions, from edge to edge. There are no additional layerings, cropping or after-effects involved, and she approaches each image as a series of quickly meditated decisions, locked in with a click, the satisfaction being that there will be no other post production effects required.

This collection of nine images, printed by the artist on canvas squares, was created during some of Robin’s workshop trips, using her techniques for thoughtful image making, which she also enjoys sharing with her photo students in the US, France, and Italy.

The black-edged defining image border is also a conscious homage to the teachings of Robin’s Mentors and the long lineage of knowledge they handed down to her. In the tradition of the days of film, the inclusion of the black film’s border was an unwavering symbol of what the photographer had truly chosen to include or consciously crop out of their art… and the thought of after-cropping did not exist.

All images and Text ©2017 Robin Davis, all rights reserved.