After reaffirming again for ourselves that we were in decent company, which means reviewing the most recent acts of spite and irrationality emanating from the White House, Carl asked us what we thought we ought to be doing with "this." By "this" he meant this gathering of artists, this photography class/group, and this art center. Our conversation informed me of at least four different benefits I get from my Wednesday morning photo class at the Minnetonka Center for the Art. Number one, I am a considerably better photographer than I was in January, 2012, the date of my first attendance. I am embarrassed when I look at the first photos I submitted to this group for review. But then, I'd be even more embarrassed to learn that I have not become a better photographer. Being a better photographer means that once I was a worse photographer. Two: I am much more able to assess a photograph. I am a more informed consumer of art presented in the form of a photograph. And three: I see the world differently now than I did five years ago. I use my eyes as cameras more now than then. As I move through my day, I am noticing texture and color, lines and shapes, composition, light and dark, gesture, contrast. MCA gives me one more thing: a community. Every time we gather I have unpredictable conversations about the experience of being an artist, the role of art in society, creativity and perception, why we do what we do as artists, who we are, etc. I don't have those conversations anywhere else, yet they are the center of my life. Thank goodness for MCA. Here is one image I brought in today:
