Although Finding Equilibrium began as an exploration of the patterns, textures and colors found in the pristine waters of natural springs, midway through this adventure my thoughts shifted to the demands placed on these waters as they meander downstream through the human world. This exhibition ends with a suite of images designed to challenge the viewer to ask, “When are WE too many?” Are we, in fact, losing equilibrium?

Finding Equilibrium was also the title of the last image of my previous exhibition at Archway Gallery. The 2013 show “Orogenesis” focused on the “solid” forms of mountain landscapes, ephemeral on a time scale only a geologist can appreciate. This time around I studied waterscapes in and around natural springs that change in the blink of an eye. This fluid environment is designed for the photographic art form. Whereas the human eye can see the motion created by the upwelling of water, it takes a mechanical shutter to “freeze” the scene, revealing the composition in all its glory and novelty.

This exploration began with the discovery of a spectacular natural spring along the eastern flank of the “Island Park Caldera” in eastern Idaho, just west of Yellowstone National Park. Subsequent trips to other spots in the Rockies, Central Texas, New England, and Southern France cemented my appreciation for these natural settings. The spectacular range and intensity of color and the patterns created by the interplay of the water, light, plant life beneath the surface, and topography springs from these images as the body of water attempts to “find equilibrium.”