Photolucida, in Oregon, has solicited entries, juried work, and announced the honorees in (the 7th?) “CriticalMass” event. Prominent among the prominent is Patty Carroll, whose artist’s statement is worth noting:
“Photographers observe, comment, criticize, and make fun of the worlds we live in by interacting with reality, and visibly displaying those perceptions in images. My training was as a straight, documentary photographer, but I stray back into the studio to make up fictional worlds.
I believe that every artist has a moment or time which became a defining point in their life view, and as we struggle to discover it, we repeat work trying to either recreate that moment, or possibly redefine it. As our inner and outer worlds collide, photography seems to be the most satisfying way of expressing that convergence.
Perhaps there are several moments that define a personality, and I look deeply for each one as it emerges. Artists often go to great lengths to find their soul place. Fortunately for me in this work, I only have to return to Park Ridge, either metaphorically or in actuality to find my defining moments and place.”
Creative Camerawork 