Rhythm & Roots 2019 /  by Ron Cowie

It seems like 2020 erased a lot of great memories of being together. As things open up more, and this year’s music festival is back on, I’m happy to revisit and share these images from the 2019 festival.

Back At It /  by Ron Cowie

I’ve been taking pictures again and it feels good. I signed up for portfolio reviews but I don’t really have expectations for anything to come of it careerwise. I’m in it for the friendships and sense of community. It is lonely out here.I’m at a point where I’m looking at where I’ve been and where I’m hoping to go. I’m less interested in a thriving career as an artist, which oddly might be the secret ingredient to actually having a career in the arts. I’ve got less to prove and more to explore. 

So, I’m bumming around with a fold up camera and just taking photos of things I find interesting or, dare I say, pretty. Too much is made about making art. I suppose it is a personal problem of mine where I feel compelled to justify my actions with the business model passed down to me: does it create an income and is it practical? 

My best work is made when I don’t really think about that stuff. It’s not that it shouldn’t be a consideration but, there is no joy in it. 

So, I buy inexpensive roll film and basic printing paper. I don’t rely on luxurious materials to save my ass. 

The work is “about” or perhaps being made by someone at a period of transition in life. I’m officially middle aged. It’s strange. I have seen the elephant. I had no idea what I would look or feel like at this age and here I am.

The process might change but then again, maybe not. It doesn’t matter. I’m committing to taking pictures I like, showing them to people, and writing about things that interest me. We’ll see what happens. It is good to be at an age where curiosity is okay. Call it a second childhood.

Old is New and Vice-Versa /  by Ron Cowie

The idea that photo artists can support themselves by licensing their work instead of squeaking by makes sense. Applying practical business models to what was otherwise “fine art” which relegated the images for museums curators, galleries, and well-heeled collectors was a good plan. The downside: whatever the commercial market gets its hands into, it changes; usually for the worse, not better.

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The Gorilla in the Room /  by Ron Cowie

Most of my projects start out as a both “a goof” and a serious attempt to attract attention to myself. Getting a gorilla costume just seemed like a fun idea at the time but, it has led to an interesting journey.

The gorilla is something we all can, literally, relate to in some primitive way. I use it as a tool to play with culture and see where I fit into it. It has been hard to be vulnerable in public so I performed in some way for as long as I can remember. Creating a relatable character that also provides total anonymity takes me out of the equation. We all wear masks, in some way, to move through the world. The gorilla, instead of protecting me, allows for me to be more emotionally open and able to connect.

The things I struggle with today are not new or unique. It’s normal to wonder about one’s place in society. The tendency to embellish, exaggerate, and outright lie about one’s status has been demonstrated throughout history and art. When given the opportunity to tell our story, leaving out the more human parts comes as no surprise.

With “influencers” polishing a perfect existence and “curating” a lifestyle brand across all social media platforms, it’s no wonder that humanity has been suffering from low self-esteem and depression at near record levels. We’re actually signing up to feel bad. I have certainly experienced the effects and exhaustions of trying to keep up. 

So, the gorilla is my safe haven. I use the mask and costume as an obvious tool in in front of the camera and make our common humanity the subject of my work. 

Cranson Weber Shelley, Amatuer Photographer /  by Ron Cowie

When my Grandmother, Maryann, died, boxes of glass plate negatives surfaced made by her father, Cranson Weber Shelley in the early part of the 20th Century. Most of the images were family photos, made with a 4x5 glass plate camera. Their condition was remarkable considering the amount of time they had been in less than ideal storage conditions.

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Family Photos (Shelley) /  by Ron Cowie

Old photos have a special place in my heart because of the stories they tell. I’ve always enjoyed skulking around ebay or antique stores to look at the small boxes of glass plate negatives or piles of photos from an estate. Some people have made a living with this kind of picking but, I’m into it more for the chance to see another world. I also like breathing new life into the images that would otherwise disappear.

This small batch of cyanotypes are from my mother’s side of the family (Shelley) and were from negatives my cousin Sara sent. Instead of scanning the negatives, which are all odd sizes, I just made prints from them and scanned those in.

I like old photos because it gives me a chance to see another world through the eyes of someone else. I tend to learn a lot from looking at what has already been seen. Having a collection from my family helps connect me to people I’ll only know through childhood memory and stories.

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Morning Symphony /  by Ron Cowie

Spring is here and I can tell because the flowers are blooming, grass is greener, and the birds are singing. Here is this morning’s report from the trees. The occasional car passing by is just part of life’s rich pageant.

My work and passion is about honoring the connections in the world. It’s what gets me up in the morning

Backyard early Spring.jpg

What I've Done During The Pandemic? Jack Shit. /  by Ron Cowie

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What have I done during the Pandemic Isolation? Jack Shit, that’s what. I’ve certainly thought about making some interesting body of work with my camera, but then, I just scroll along social media and that feeling passes. I start writing and after a while it just stops being interesting. 

I’m not on a artist retreat, I’m living in the middle of a global pandemic. It isn’t lost on me that people are getting sick and some of those people are not getting better. It is strange to think that we all live in a world where the people who are going to die from this virus THIS MONTH might not even be sick yet. Sorry if a series of still life pictures or wet plate mug shot portraits just doesn’t do it for me.

Instead, I’m sitting on my ass and looking out the window. This is a marathon and I’ve run a few of those. The secret to marathons is to keep your goals very simple: finish. Cross the goddamn line in one piece. 

I believe this situation will pass. That said, I’m just not that into teaching you how to do stuff, making art about isolation or whatever. I’m doing the New York Times Crossword puzzle and a few other things. Above all, I am so profoundly grateful for the simple gift of being able to stay safe and full of ennui.

My creative wheels aren’t going into overdrive and I don’t have a problem with that. My goal for the foreseeable future is to just stay healthy, help others stay healthy, and get through each day as best I can. No great opuses, nothing else really matters. 

One thing I have committed to doing is watching all the James Bond movies with my stepson, who is home from college. Every night, we continue our journey into the wildly sexist international spy series.

Here is to loafing on the sofa, baking stuff, and feeding the cats. Read a book, walk around the block. In a marathon and the goal is just to finish. An ugly, late finish still counts. Pace yourself, stay hydrated and mindful. Worry about being fabulous at the after-party when we all feel like celebrating. That will be a very good day. 

Darkness into Light /  by Ron Cowie

Midmorning March 3rd, 2020

Midmorning March 3rd, 2020

It’s funny, I have a desire to make some night photos but the bright sunlight keeps pulling me back. This time of year I can feel myself get unwound from a winter of sunlight starvation. My mood picks up, projects present themselves and, I’m making more work that I like.

Seeing the sun on the ocean is something that never really gets old. This image was made at Camp Cronin, on what remained of a concrete bunker from World War Two. I don’t know why I haven’t gone out for a night sequence recently. Probably because it is cold. That’s a good reason.

Spring and summer will find me lookin with love into the darkness.

What I’m Listening to. /  by Ron Cowie

This is a quick rundown of what is catching my interest. With the internet, it s easy to travel in time, relive different parts of my life through the music and media of that time. There are times when I feel a little confused and looking back to where I have been is a great way to adjust my flight plan. Anyone who says you can reference the past is a boring fool. Good ideas marinate well.

Music

Podcasts







Daily Practice makes Daily Practice /  by Ron Cowie

I’ve been a little stagnant in my photography and that is in part to me not using a camera on a daily basis. Perhaps you can identify.

Part of the issue with using big cameras is thinking that smaller cameras are somehow not as good. This thinking is similar to a painter of large canvases not using a sketchbook to practice the eye. Doesn’t make sense.

So, I’m developing a habit of keeping a small Sony a6000 with me wherever I go. I have it set on program and auto exposure. For me, it is a tool to record the interesting things I see. It blows off a little steam and frees up my imagination. Photography becomes less of an event and more of a practice. It’s easy to forget that.

Here are some selections from my daily practice.


Making Art with A.D.D. isn't Impossible /  by Ron Cowie

I don’t know where I got this idea that all my work had to be in tiny little packages and completed before I went on to something else. It isn’t how my brain works and it stood in the way of me making work at all. It isn’t that I don’t believe in finishing what I start, but often that requires a lot of exploration of other paths and ideas before I can bring something to a close.

It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned the term “Attention Deficit Disorder” and realized it fit me perfectly. I was a “rambunctious” kid growing up and had a hard time sitting still. This made it difficult to achieve any kind of solid academic record and was the source of many tense conversations during my teenage years. We didn’t know what we didn’t know back then.

However, I realize that the struggle to try to get my brain to focus the way I “think” it should takes more energy than letting do its thing. The fact is, I’m interested in a lot of things all at once and time and again, the connections between them make themselves known in time. It can be scary, but if I just factor in a little “soft focus” I get more done. This doesn’t mean I don’t respond well to organization, it’s just that it looks different than other people’s versions.

What helps is writing things down, using my calendar app, getting plenty of sleep, and, factoring in time goof off. Also, practicing some form of meditation helps. Sometimes a little pause gives my brain space to make connections it wouldn’t otherwise make. I’ve come to rely on it.

I still struggle with motivation, everyone does. Usually lack of motivation comes from feeling like nothing I do will be good enough because somehow the focus isn’t there. What helps is realizing that how I think I should function and how I do function are two different things. As soon as I stop comparing those two things, more gets done. It takes a daily leap of faith but usually works out

Narragansett Beach Seagulls /  by Ron Cowie

I was bored and I had a box of stale crackers, so I went to be beach and took pictures of seagulls. I like the way they fill the frame and I think I’ll go back and do some more. I like making images that involve chance.

At first, the gulls were not interested in what I had to offer. Then one showed up. The rest were easy to convince after that.

Because I have some form of A.D.D. , I get restless. Sometimes I just want to go do something and it doesn’t fit with anything else. This little thing is like that. I just like goofing off with my camera.

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Prepare to be Assimilated: Bert & None /  by Ron Cowie

What started as a great idea to sell my fine art photographs, and perhaps other’s as well, has come to a close. Bert & None online gallery expired today and I have no plans to restart it. I still own the domain, but will direct it to the commerce section of this website. That’s called “The Curious Basement” .

Here’s what I learned:

  1. Maintaining two websites is a lot of work, especially when they don’t make much money

  2. Selling photography is a weird business.

  3. It makes more sense to have all my stuff under one tent.

I’ve reached a point in my life and career where I don’t think I need to be all things for all people. It really hasn’t worked out so well, to be honest. The things I’m most passionate about in photography have limited but very passionate, commercial followings. I’m drilling down into that and seeing where it leads.

Making work that reflect who and where I am seems like a good idea for now. I have a backlog of images to release into the wild, some time to focus on setting things up, and a desire to grow as an artist.

Bert & None was named after my grandparents, and I owe a lot to them. I’m sorry the site didn’t take off, but I got to practice talking about work, organizing ideas, and creating beautiful work. No regrets, Coyote.

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