American Sensibilities
I had the pleasure and honor of participating in two George Nobechi workshops earlier this year. The theme was “Japanese Sensibility in Photographic Practice.” It was humbling and eye opening; a superbly positive experience.. Several of us in the workshop are continuing collaboration, it will be a “global experiment.”
The workshop had me wondering if capturing “American Sensibility in Photographic Practice” is possible. “Of course, it is,” I answer! But, no, not so fast. I searched for “American Sensibility” and was not entirely pleased with the results. The search algorithm seems to play off the competitive and divisiveness of our culture rather than positive values or social mores. So I eliminated the word “American” in my search and just looked for “Sensibility.” That’s where I sort of hit pay dirt…a politically neutral definition. This is one I like the best, “a way of understanding things.” Again, easier said than done, is there an American standard for understanding things? Apparently in Japan, certain sensibilities, Wabi Sabi, for instance, are difficult to explain but easy to see if your upbringing, culture, instruction, etc., has opened your mind to the concept. Sensibilities that are fiercely American must exist. You’ll know it if you see it. RIght?
Of course, as I sit in my little island of isolation in central Virginia, all this is new, well, new to me. It was probably a university major in the 1960s and 70s. (I mean, what wasn’t?) Sensibilities? Do we have some sort of spectrum? Racism. Capitalism, Urbanism. Nationalism. Hate. Love. I think this will be a multi-faceted project, defining American sensibilities, applying them to my art, describing them, creating sets. Perhaps, then, I would look at laying Japanese and American Sensibilities next to each other and seeing what happens. If anyone has any thoughts on what might be a candidate for inclusion in a list of “American Sensibilities in Photography,’ please either comment or email me. Seriously…I am interested in your thoughts (and I need some inspiration).
The image above is from the kitchen of Tuckahoe Plantation, not too far away from where I live. The plantation was built in the early 1700s and some of the original buildings remain. The current owners are preserving the plantation as an historical landmark and rent it for weddings and other events. The grounds are open for visitors days when no events are scheduled. The kitchen pictured here is a separate building from the main house, you wanted to keep the heat and fire danger away from the owner’s living space. The plantation owners enslaved many people although many were freed in the years prior to the Civil War.