Ilese Levitt, Phoenix
Member Since January 2008
Artist Statement My eye travels beyond what is in the foreground. I see the light caught in a rain drop, dappled light painted over jars of honey at the farmers’ market, muted light sprayed across a garden bench. The play of light with shades of color and texture pulls my eye into the depth of details. My Art of Photography is bringing into focus what others may not notice. Photography is a meditation, focusing my awareness.
With a Zen mind, I look and listen with my eyes to become aware of what I consider ‘gems of the universe’ – sparkles of insight, awareness, beauty. Gardens and natural landscapes especially interest me with their wild and random beauty. My love of animals and children brings wonderful opportunities for pet and child portraitures. Perhaps, the wild and random beauty of these beings attracts me too.
I grew up in the country and spent many hours gazing into the pond watching frog eggs develop into tadpoles. As I grew older, I found fascination lying in the grass and peering into that mysterious world hidden deep between blades of grass. I seek to see what we often do not see.
My recent relocation to the Phoenix area forces me to open myself to a new world of visual sensibilities. I moved here from New England in January 2006 to care for an elderly parent. This experience opened the door for so many new visions.
The desert landscape challenges my perceptions of “beauty” as defined by the deep green forests of the North Woods of Maine or the crisp grays and blues of the North Atlantic Ocean. Air without humidity filters light differently than that laden with salty ocean mist. Again I am drawn into to seeing what I find hiding. Challenges are presented to us that we might move out of our comfort zones. I am so excited to have the opportunities to learn at another level.
Sometimes I feel the urgency of trying to see what is not seen before it can no longer be seen. My father, born in 1921, awakened my interest in photography before I could even read. His father before him had also been a photographer. I listen to my father’s longing for days that have faded and know that someday my daughter will sit where I sit, and so I want to capture those ‘gems of the universe’ to remember, to share, to pass on.
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