“Sky Light 2” is one of a series of photographic exposures I captured during a two-week business trip to Melbourne, Australia in April 2017.
A canvas print of this exposure is on exhibit at the Phinney Center Gallery, part of a new show called “The Healing Power of Art” (on from September 12-October 18, 2019).
It is featured among 40 works of art, across a variety of medium and materials. All of these works are reflections and expressions of how art (either the process of creating or through the enjoyment of the artwork of others) can be extremely therapeutic.
Here’s the artist statement I submitted with “Sky Light 2” to explain how it represented the show’s theme:
Every visual artist constantly struggles with trying to recreate what they see with the naked eye through their medium. When that very moment has been captured, it cements an emotion that has the supernatural power of creating a connection between the artist and their audiences. The idea of the healing power of art speaks directly to these extraordinary, lasting bonds that are formed—in most cases without the artist, subject, or observer ever having met. For this show, I am submitting a photograph I’ve captured that I believe exhibits this incredible power of emotional evocation:
"Sky Light 2" (Canvas Print) - Captured in Melbourne, Australia in 2017, this image creates a strong sense of having a path and a means to reach a better state of mind, body, or soul. Whether you believe this is going up towards the sky, or just straight forward, it is the metaphorical journey to the light at the end of the tunnel.
On Friday, September 13th, the Phinney Center Gallery hosted an opening reception for this show. Art lovers from around the greater Seattle area were able to meet and mingle with many of the featured artists. As one of these artists, I truly enjoyed the chance to interact with the attendees and other artists. It afforded me ample opportunity to tell others the story behind my photograph.
During the evening affair, I not only sold the canvas print (thank you!), I was also asked numerous times, “what is this thing, exactly?”
While I knew all of the details of when, where, and how I captured “Sky Light 2”—and the other three exposures in the series I showed from my hameroff.photo portfolio site from my iPhone—I completely failed on the specifics of the very object at the center of the piece.
Since that night, I’ve been searching about to try and piece together a bit more of the story. I’m happy to share (thanks to Google Maps and an online walking map of public art) I am now able to share the complete story.
The object is called the “Sealight Pavilion”. It is a public art installation in the Docklands of Melbourne, funded by a group led by Monash University. Designed in 2012 by architectural students from the university, and built with reclaimed timber, the work is meant to be “a place to meet, to escape the elements or to simply witness the passage of time.”
The Docklands is an area of fairly recent urban renewal, situated near the central business district of Melbourne city. Like many similar places across the world, the Docklands is a mash-up of modern, contemporary (and expensive) real estate and repurposed buildings from the districts prior life as a transportation hub).
“Sealight Pavilion” is one of a number public artwork installations you can find as you stroll through the Docklands, and exemplifies this connection between past and present Melbourne.
I happened upon it during a full-day walkabout that took me across nearly the entire city, toting my trusty FUJIFILM X-T2. Not entirely sure what to make of the structure, failed to take any photos from the outside. I immediately felt differently once walking into the “tower”.
One of the first things you’ll notice is this public artwork has long served as a canvas for the “art” of the public.
Nearly the whole of the interior is covered with graffiti. Nothing spectacular; mostly names and snapshots of people’s relationship status sans Facebook.
What really caught my attention was the view whilst looking up and out the opened top of the tower. Thanks to both the time of day, perfect Southern Hemisphere fall weather, and a little bit of luck, the exposures almost began to capture themselves.
"Sky Light 1"
"Sky Light 3"
Each of the series of three may look very similar, but as the person who purchased “Sky Light 2” pointed out to me: “every time you look at it, you find another new thing hidden in the woodwork.”
“Sky Light 2” (and the others) are also a solid reminder to me that, as a photographic/visual artist, the best captured exposures may not be right in front of you. Always look up, look down, look out, and look around (as, the Yes song “It Can Happen” says so well), as you might not realize the best shot is still to be found.
You can see “Sky Light 2” on display until October 18th at the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s “Phinney Center” in the PhinneyWood section of North Seattle. More details on the show and location can be found by visiting: https://www.phinneycenter.org/arts/
