Biography

I was born in 1970 in Bucks County, Pa. Not an entirely unknown area for artists. Its close proximity to New York and Philadelphia made it a creative breeding ground for such artists as Charles Sheeler, Edward Redfield, James Michener and even Aaron Siskind for a short time. That was in a time before the rampant development and the destruction of the pastoral farm country that once inhabited the land. A change was in order, so in the early nineties I moved to Gunnison, Colorado for college. I graduated in 1994 with a BA in Photography. That experience gave me the motivation to continue the drive to photograph. After I graduated I was graciously allowed to spend the better part of two years at the Art Museum, Princeton University. This time allowed me to learn about the work of the masters through private viewing sessions. Its much more beneficial in my mind when you can hold the works of masters in your hands rather than seeing them in a book. I consider that time spent more important to my artistic development than any other time. It becomes of great value when you can not only view the work of masters but learn why they did what they did that made them successful and then apply those ideals to your own work. The past 10+ years afterwards have been spent refining my craft and vision. I feel I am at a place now where I know what I want to say and how to say it. It is now a matter of continuing the journey.

I'm not the most prolific photographer by any means. My negatives can be numbered in the hundreds rather than thousands. Once I've answered a question or solved a problem I move on. I never want to become complacent or allow the viewer to do so as well. Perhaps it will come back to bite me in the ass someday but I would rather be known for always changing as opposed to rehashing old subject matter. Thanks for visiting.

jirwin4846@aol.com