The Ark
from "Light Through a Window"
My Wife and I went to a local “under the stars” band concert sponsored by our city’s arts commission. The featured music was provided by a “big band.” This style of music was popular in the 1930’s and 1940’s. As one might expect, the practitioners of this musical style are usually more “mature” than most bands. The audience is even older. During the show, I was struck by a certain discord among the tones. It seemed as if the entire orchestra was out of tune, but consistently out of tune. Then it struck me. Maybe the collective “hearing” of the band was declining due to age. This hearing loss was affecting their art. I began to ponder this topic.
When is the eventual loss of eyesight that comes with age going to affect my art? I was told Chris Burkett is concerned about how aging will affect his ability to evaluate his famously precise high resolution printing. I gave up my view cameras a few years ago. The 5x7 was first to go. I still have the 4x5, fewer film holders and fewer lenses. The Zone VI standard tripod (all fifteen pounds of it) is also gone. The days of hop scotching across the tops of rocks in remote streams with a backpack full of view camera gear and the big tripod are gone. Long afternoons in the darkroom rocking print trays are now a memory. Well, almost. (My darkroom has been converted into a brewery, so it hasn’t been a total loss.)
Now it’s a sling bag, a carbon fiber composite tripod, a digital camera with a zoom lens and good photo printer. The equipment and technology are extending my ability to work in the field. I can continue to create art for quite a while longer. Maybe it will take a bit longer, but eventually age will catch up with me.
It’s cruel. It takes decades to sharpen your vision and then your eyesight gets blurry.
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