Artist Statement
Over more than 40 years as a photographer I have collected 1000s of images both on film
and, in recent years, through digital capture. With this digital world I settled into, I found a freedom to experiment with my photography that I never had with film. I was no longer limited by the 36 shots on a roll of film and could really "play" with my subject and shoot things that in my former discipline would have been marginal. With the addition of photo editing software and a rather free spirit in the use of it, my horizons were gigantically broadened. I don't always follow the rules and this has given me a photographic voice that I hope is slightly different and interesting to the viewers.
I find that over and over I am drawn to people and the peculiarities of their lives. That being said, when I try to capture the world in all it's splendor..... the sunsets, the mountains, the deserts, the flowers, I find that unless there are people interacting in this landscape it is not particularly interesting to me. Life is full of absurdities, humor and pathos. When I began preparing the images for this website, I was struck by the number of photographs that addressed this..... the odd situations people get themselves into, the weird clothing they wear, the places in which they work, live, congregate for entertainment and sometimes just for the pure enjoyment of the moment.
I am also inspired by the West where I have lived for most of my life. I’m fascinated with the way western history has shaped and molded contemporary life in the west today. In Arizona, we still court the cowboy and his ethic perhaps because we envy the less complicated and hectic lifestyle it represents. To spend a morning photographing wranglers and horses is more therapeutic for me than a day at a spa.
Part of the history of the west revolves around the "Mother Road".....Route 66. To me it is a living symbol, if a rapidly dying one, of our past...where we have come from, and perhaps sadly where we are going. It is a work in progress, a goal to capture and record it before it is gone forever. You might note that there are no people in many of these photographs. There are only ghosts. That's because the people who lived and worked there are gone...their ghosts will last forever in these run down monuments. That is, at least until the last gas station or tourist attraction or diner has collapsed into dust and rubble.
I quote here the famous urban landscape photographer, George TIce .......
"It takes the passage of time before an image of a commonplace subject can be assessed. The great difficulty of what I attempt is seeing beyond the moment; the everydayness of life gets in the way of the eternal. He also said " I think the best photographers can make what might look dull and uninteresting to you and I into works of art. It reminds me of what Brooks Jensen used to say…..something about being able to make your kitchen sink into a great portfolio if you had the inspiration."
Don't try to look at this site in one sitting. My plan is to update the gallery every month. New images and galleries will appear and some will go away. It is a collection amassed over a life time therefore it is impossible to absorb in one glance. The galleries that remain on the site will constantly be refreshed since my camera is always busy.
I hope that my work causes you to think for a moment about another life style or culture, and that it makes you question my intent or my perspective. That it makes you ponder......
Most of all, however, I hope it makes you smile or best case scenario, laugh out loud. Visit the site as often as you can and get back to me with comments or questions. I would like this to be an interactive site. It will continue to reflect my rather unconventional and tilted view of our world and I would like you to be part of it.
Gini Pringle "The Little Old Lady in Sensible Shoes"
and, in recent years, through digital capture. With this digital world I settled into, I found a freedom to experiment with my photography that I never had with film. I was no longer limited by the 36 shots on a roll of film and could really "play" with my subject and shoot things that in my former discipline would have been marginal. With the addition of photo editing software and a rather free spirit in the use of it, my horizons were gigantically broadened. I don't always follow the rules and this has given me a photographic voice that I hope is slightly different and interesting to the viewers.
I find that over and over I am drawn to people and the peculiarities of their lives. That being said, when I try to capture the world in all it's splendor..... the sunsets, the mountains, the deserts, the flowers, I find that unless there are people interacting in this landscape it is not particularly interesting to me. Life is full of absurdities, humor and pathos. When I began preparing the images for this website, I was struck by the number of photographs that addressed this..... the odd situations people get themselves into, the weird clothing they wear, the places in which they work, live, congregate for entertainment and sometimes just for the pure enjoyment of the moment.
I am also inspired by the West where I have lived for most of my life. I’m fascinated with the way western history has shaped and molded contemporary life in the west today. In Arizona, we still court the cowboy and his ethic perhaps because we envy the less complicated and hectic lifestyle it represents. To spend a morning photographing wranglers and horses is more therapeutic for me than a day at a spa.
Part of the history of the west revolves around the "Mother Road".....Route 66. To me it is a living symbol, if a rapidly dying one, of our past...where we have come from, and perhaps sadly where we are going. It is a work in progress, a goal to capture and record it before it is gone forever. You might note that there are no people in many of these photographs. There are only ghosts. That's because the people who lived and worked there are gone...their ghosts will last forever in these run down monuments. That is, at least until the last gas station or tourist attraction or diner has collapsed into dust and rubble.
I quote here the famous urban landscape photographer, George TIce .......
"It takes the passage of time before an image of a commonplace subject can be assessed. The great difficulty of what I attempt is seeing beyond the moment; the everydayness of life gets in the way of the eternal. He also said " I think the best photographers can make what might look dull and uninteresting to you and I into works of art. It reminds me of what Brooks Jensen used to say…..something about being able to make your kitchen sink into a great portfolio if you had the inspiration."
Don't try to look at this site in one sitting. My plan is to update the gallery every month. New images and galleries will appear and some will go away. It is a collection amassed over a life time therefore it is impossible to absorb in one glance. The galleries that remain on the site will constantly be refreshed since my camera is always busy.
I hope that my work causes you to think for a moment about another life style or culture, and that it makes you question my intent or my perspective. That it makes you ponder......
Most of all, however, I hope it makes you smile or best case scenario, laugh out loud. Visit the site as often as you can and get back to me with comments or questions. I would like this to be an interactive site. It will continue to reflect my rather unconventional and tilted view of our world and I would like you to be part of it.
Gini Pringle "The Little Old Lady in Sensible Shoes"