Tom O Scott - Artist Statement
My favorite photos are those that reveal a pattern, design, or composition that is universal, that extends beyond the object portrayed. I find these shots in the intricate lines on the beach made by the receding ocean tides, in the geometry of a dried up agave plant, in the fractal magic of a blooming flower, in the undulating lines of a desert dune.
For me, the search is every bit as inspiring as the final product. My Sand Vision portfolio, for example, has brought me to the beach hundreds of times, and usually I return home without a single shot. Yet, the experience itself -- the sound of the breaking waves, the smell of the salt air, the colors, shapes and patterns luring the eyes -- is the greatest reward. A good photograph is simply icing on the cake.
The continuum of life and death, the fuzzy line between the two, fascinates me. I love subjects whose existence is transitory, where there is no possibility of returning for a re-shoot, where the colors are subtle, where the patterns of life and death are intermingled, forming a strange kind of beauty.