I find myself attracted to the margins, to what I missed seeing, the wonder, the awe, the surprise in ordinary places like downtown Indianapolis or Franklin. Abraham Joshua Heschel suggested that to die is to cease to be surprised. I’m aware of three or four influences on my approach to photography.
The philosophical tradition of phenomenology can be thought of as learning to see through my eyes rather than through my thoughts. Set aside expectations, anticipations, assumptions, schedules. Focus on sensations in the moment. This approach heightens awareness of my preconceptions, routines. Most of the pieces in this exhibit are thus an exercise in phenomenology, setting aside names like “Monument Circle,” “Indianapolis,” “lunch,” “downtown Franklin,” or “rain,” in order to actually see what has always been in my perceptual field, but that to which I have been oblivious. This can result in unusual subject matter, at times producing provocative, arresting photos.
The rich contemplative visions at the heart of all the great religious traditions provide a second influence. The great 20th-century Cistercian monk Thomas Merton speaks of “the sacrament of the present moment,” suggesting that the present moment is a deeply spiritual place to be. The car I’m walking past, the honking horn, the splashing rain, the distorted reflection in a window, the smells right now—for the rich monastic traditions, these are sacrament, holy, sacred. To leave the present moment by way of my beliefs, thoughts, expectations, schedule, fears, memories, theology—these are ways of precisely missing the sacred, of rejecting God. Merton suggests: “Try to stop thinking and simply to be . . . totally present to what is reaching you through your senses.”
Mindfulness is a third way of talking about influences on my photography. Zen koans allow me to wonder, to let go of interpretations and meanings, to empty my mind, once again to be fully present. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen Master, suggests that mindfulness means keeping my consciousness alive to the present reality; to perceive without judgment; to redirect my action from achievement to non-achievement.
Psychology is very useful in helping us to understand how much goes unnoticed as we are busy “seeing”/“perceiving,” due to our expectations, wishful thinking, fears, hopes, etc. Being focused on getting to Symphony Hall can blind me to much of what is in my perceptual field but not related to my “achievement,” my goal of the moment.
Dr. David H. Chandler