photo of the month
from randy kato





Brrrr.... it's cold outside! Maybe it's not so bad where you are, but here in NYC it is quite literally freezing.

I thought I'd incorporate that into my choice for this month's photo. As I was trying to make my decision I also noticed an unintended thread connecting the last few months' photos: water.

So this photo is a shot of a little art experiment I made a few years ago. "The Egg" was made of water and cold (and a few blades of grass). Inspired by Andy Goldsworthy, I wanted to create an organic form, using nothing but natural elements from the environment.

It took several hours on a frigid night, and required me to become quite intimate with the cold and the water. For a long time it simply wasn't working; I wasn't able to make the elements do what I wanted them to do.

That was the problem. I realized that the elements will do what they will naturally, and I couldn't control or force it. It forced me to slow down in a way similar to those little water molecules as they settled themselves into a new state of being.

Once I did this - the 'artist' got out of the way of the art - it all started to gel. I slowed my pace to that of water freezing and was able to get acquainted with this amazing process of nature. At that point, I understood how I could play with the elements.

Just before sunrise it was ready. If you like, you can watch it emerge or see more photos of it.

Enjoy!
Randy




Photo of the Month archive