Jon Kolkin

New York, New York (American, b. 1951)
The “Tide Pool” Series by Jon Kolkin

Claude Monet’s Water Lilies in the Garden at Giverny was the inspiration behind the creation of the Tide Pool series. Just as Monet used the same subject matter time and time again, so have I chosen to repeatedly photograph the same sloping bank of a single tidal pool on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Monet had a unique ability to give new life and meaning to a theme by constantly challenging his own point of reference. In a similar fashion, each of my photographs in the Tide Pool series attempts to capture this same embankment in different seasons, during different times of the day, in variable weather conditions, at low tide/high tide and orientated from a variety of angles.

However, there is a second driving force behind the creation of this body of work. It is my feeling that individuals instinctively view and interpret their environment based on their preconceived perception of reality.  This vision of what is “real” is dictated by one’s previous experiences and the confines of a 3 dimensional world in addition to a reliance on the 5 senses.  This limited, somewhat myopic view can lead to dogmatic inflexibility and subsequent intolerance.  But what if there are other dimensions and other senses?  And what might be the benefit of opening one’s mind to other possible interpretations of our surroundings?  

The Tide Pool series attempts to create a Zen-like experience through the intentional distortion of scale and loss of reference. For some observers the art might be interpreted as a close-up, intimate representation of elements within the tidal pool while others have the sense of viewing a panoramic landscape. I am attempting to challenge our perception of what constitutes “truth.” My hope is that this exercise will encourage more people to step outside of their comfort zone and examine daily situations from multiple angles, thereby promoting tolerance and understanding.

Footnote:  The Tide Pool series is featured in Camera Arts Magazine.

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