Photos by Jeff Mitchell
Jeff Mitchell, photographer
Chance Composition Series
made at the Brooklyn Bridge
artist’s statement
My work expresses the letting go of artist ego, connecting the art to the power of nature and letting nature express itself.
I am influenced by the avant-garde composer and visual artist, John Cage (1912-1992), who was inspired to use a chance operation approach to his work through his study of Zen Buddhism and by the belief that imitating nature in her manner of operation was the highest goal to which an artist could aspire. He sought to achieve this by removing his likes and dislikes from his compositions through the use of chance. His goals for his work were spiritual as well as artistic. Mine, too. My hope is that the viewer of my work will recognize the open, natural processes in it and appreciate, on some level, the unique artistic brilliance of Mother Nature.
chance composition series made at the Brooklyn Bridge
I (as did Cage) primarily use the ancient Chinese oracle - the I Ching - as a tool to make choices when constructing a piece. By throwing three coins six times, a number between 1 and 64 is generated. For the Brooklyn Bridge series, the I Ching was thrown for each frame of film the capacity my medium format camera allows (15). The numbers were assigned to specific directions on the compass. Double exposures were made when the I Ching indicated one number was in the process of changing into another, resulting in two directions appearing on the same frame. Chance also determined which of four lenses to use. Every picture was shot from a single spot in the shadow of the Brooklyn tower.
