Nothing But a Teaser by JasonChapman on January 30th, 2009

from “The Effort”

My name is Jason and I’m pleased to have been asked to feature my work with Artist Bloc. I’m a photographer and a writer and maybe a great many other things. I appreciate being involved with people with a mind to art for art’s sake. I’m regularly humbled, inspired and encouraged by the artists and organizers and by their own work.

With that in mind, it’s probably not surprising that this project that I’m working on with Aaron is a documentary photo essay that explores the day-to-day struggle of living by the rules of a creative profession. It’s called “The Effort”. I’m spending a few months collecting images of the bits and pieces that make up a life defined by the artist. I’ve purposely avoided looking strictly at his working life and capturing the action in a behind-the-scenes kind of way. That’s all part of the lifestyle, of course, but on its own it really has nothing to do with the point. That point being that there is something intangible about the impetus to create. There’s a joy and a quality of loneliness to creation and I’m interested in showing that committing yourself to it is a noble act.

It’s important to me that artists are at least marginally respected for the depth and texture they offer to everyone’s lives. There is sacrifice in the refusal to look away.

When the essay is ready I’ll be presenting it here.