This is a travel fellowship proposal I just turned in on Friday. In a month I will be part of a show for the contestants and I will hang some of my photographs and designs. They award the winners in April. ::Cross your fingers for me::
Sarah Wray
Travel Fellowship Proposal
2008
As a visual artist, I am constantly searching for new locations from which to derive my photographic imagery. Up until this point in my life, my travel has been limited to the Eastern Coast of the United States; therefore restricting my exposure to diverse climates, colors, textures, and culture. I have come to a point in my work where I feel asphyxiated by my stagnant surroundings. I am proposing to travel to Northern and Central California to remove myself from my familiar environment, and enable me to independently investigate new settings unlike anywhere else in the United States. This fellowship would allow me the occasion to step out of the postcards and re-evaluate my previous estimations of Northern and Central California while developing a new visual palette.
Growing up in suburbia and spending most of my adult life in Philadelphia has focused my work on rural growth and urban decay. Within this dichotomy, similarities arise with related color sensibility, rhythm, and intricacy of lines. Through my camera, I observe accidental patterns in the world that are often overlooked. By magnifying minute details, I alter the viewer's perception of the object, creating a soft-focus that is more reminiscent of an abstract painting than a photograph. The patterning in these photographs relates directly to my textile design work, pulling inspiration of subject matter, color combinations, and lacelike line work.
I have always thought of myself as an explorer. Leave me alone in a wide-open field for an hour and I will return with one hundred photographs, numerous sketches, and countless ideas for new adventures. Give me a map of a new city and its transportation system and by the end of the day I will be giving tourists directions. In recent years I have taken to investigating most of the East Coast and its surrounding states by seizing occasions to join colleagues on trips. I have uncovered the beauty and mystique of rusted trains, dilapidated buildings, hidden graffiti, extensive farmland, suburban sprawl, historical sites, and vast national parks. Unfortunately, these trips have taken me as far as I can go. I am finding redundancy whether the photograph is from Canandaigua, NY; Kissimmee, FL; Malden, MA; or Lewes, DE. A vast amount of the Eastern Coast is full of muted colors, subtle transitions, and soggy, moist climates. Due to this visual repetition I find myself relying on magazines and other predetermined resources to advance my design sensibilities, which feels more like recycling old ideas rather than any type of creation. I feel it is crucial to develop these strengths through travel rather than apparent sources to keep maturing as an artist and as a well-rounded woman.
California's distinct landscape surpasses that of the whole Eastern Coast. The terrain combines booming metropolises and colossal wilderness in one state. The difference in light quality will be visible from the moment I arrive. Vibrant primary colors radiate off of bodies of water, and sunsets produce jewel tones like I have only seen in color chips. Graffiti and decay will take on completely different characteristics in this new setting, with its varying ecological and cultural influences. The arid climate will introduce me to new plant and animal life with textured surfaces begging to be captured in a still image.
I propose to begin my trip in San Francisco, where I will stay for a few days to get a general feel for the city. I will allow myself time to get caught up in the city’s minuscule details, searching for street art, textured surfaces, plant life, and colors that only belong to San Francisco. Avoiding the typical tourist attractions, I will lock in to the essence of this diverse urban setting by spontaneously traveling from neighborhood to neighborhood. San Francisco’s itinerary will be to soak in the East meets West cultural uniqueness and to gain an understanding of the history and layout of the city.
From San Francisco I will head northeast via rental car to the Shasta Lakes. Ordinarily this drive might take a little less than four hours, but I plan to periodically stop to observe the passing nature. Local tours on land and water will familiarize me with the location where I will be camping and hiking for two days. Once I have set up camp, I will take to the trails to search out color combinations that are unique to the Shasta Lakes. This man-made lake system encompasses picturesque placid lakes, snowcapped mountains, majestic forests and crystal caverns. The abundance of plant life will give me a plethora of imagery to photograph.
Soon after, I will traverse southeast to the celebrated Yosemite National Park. Driving from Shasta will lead me through many remarkable sites including Redding, Red Bluff, Sacramento, and Stockton before arriving in the park. The 1,200 miles of wilderness is unlike anything that can be found in the Eastern United States. There are towering waterfalls, intense rustic valleys, legendary Glassier Point, soaring Sequoias, and fragrant flower filled meadows. The two days of camping and surveying the terrain will give me the opportunity to define these quintessential American sites with my own distinctive eye. The dramatic changes within the landscape differ so drastically from the rolling hills of the Eastern United States and I am excited by the possibility that my photography will be taken to a new heightened level of drama.
Next, I will drive down the coast to my last getaway in Big Sur along the Central Coast of California. The national park in Big Sur is known for its Blue Whale watching, Monarch Butterflies, and Elephant Seals. Amongst the forest streams, tree lined valleys, and redwoods are bluff-side campgrounds that hold endless views of the Pacific Ocean. At night the stars are said to wrap around campers like a blanket, being visible from all sides of the bluff. A comparison of a city filled with incandescent light, where stars are barely visible, to this universal display along the Pacific Coast will be breathtaking. Inside Big Sur sits Pfeiffer Beach, a somewhat unknown and secluded location with dramatic offshore rocks and purple sand. This site will defy any color aesthetics and combinations that I have ever experienced with its all encompassing sunsets and sunrises. Leaving Big Sur, I will finish my travels by driving the famous Route 1 up the coast back to San Francisco to re-evaluate my previous notions of Northern and Central California, catching any last breath-taking scenery along the way.
Each site in my travels covers a different subject matter within my focus of artistic study. These Northern California areas will simultaneously teach me something new about color relationships, textures altered by an unfamiliar climate, and cultural influences. By visiting these Northern and Central California settings I will temporarily satisfy my longing for new inspiration. Traveling across this land will take me out of imaginary exploration to realistic interpretations. I look at this trip as a propellant to future travel outside of the United States. When returning to Philadelphia, I hope that this experience will also enlighten my perception of my accustomed surroundings, and ultimately provide an abundance of photographic material to work with in the future.
