INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE

Circular Motion

Interview by Harryet Candee

Congratulations on your upcoming book, EDGE. When we last spoke, two years ago, the tentative title for your book was Edge of Chaos. Why did you change the title? Thanks, Harryet. When we last spoke, I had just completed work on a prototype, or what is often referred to as a “book dummy” that included photographs spanning nearly four decades of my career as a fine art photographer. I collaborated with Larry Chernicoff of WindHorse Design to develop the dummy which I then used to pitch my book idea to publishers. The title “Edge of Chaos” came from the field of complexity science, the discipline that investigates what occurs when large numbers of individual elements are added to a system and coalesce. As more components are added, at a point bordering on chaos, something new materializes that is not just complicated but rather an entirely new entity that is both greater than the sum of its parts and essentially different from them. That magical region is called the “edge of chaos”. That concept became a metaphor for my photography because I try to capture an unexpected elegance that emerges from visually dense scenes. Over several years’ time my compositions became extremely complex, bordering on chaos. It took a few years, but I am thrilled to have signed a contract with Fall Line Press in Atlanta, Georgia to publish my monograph later this year. While we are still making use of the “edge of chaos” metaphor, the publisher suggested the single word “edge” for the title – simple and concise while still capturing the essence of the book. After much contemplation I agreed with him.

I understand Tim Davis, professor of photography at Bard College will be including an essay. This is an important addition in promoting your book and you as a photographer. What does he write that supports and promotes your intense 40 years plus of photography work? Tim is highly regarded in the photography world because he is a fabulous photographer and writer. Both of those talents are on display in his recent book “I’m Looking Through You” which was just published by Aperture. It’s hard to summarize his essay for EDGE in a few sentences, but the title alone hints at Tim’s unusual writing style: “The Photographs of a Spoonleaf Sundew”. My first response when I read that was “huh?”. I’ve been called a lot of things over the years but never a Spoonleaf Sundew! Then I realized the title will certainly pique the reader’s curiosity whether he/she knows what a Sundew is or not. Tim makes great use of metaphor throughout the piece, the main one comparing this carnivorous plant (akin to a Venus Flytrap, but much more inviting in appearance and name) to the book. The author suggests that EDGE lures the viewer in with its “nectar of visual complexity” and as the book progresses, like the Sundew, it engulfs the reader and doesn’t let go.

David Ricci 5 Trimpers Rides

Besides the title, what else has changed between the book dummy you developed a few years ago and the final design with Fall Line Press? Has the structure and content of the book changed? We essentially started from scratch to develop EDGE – it’s a completely new design. Many of the images from the dummy are included, but we have added several pieces and removed others. I had written an introduction for the dummy to provide some context for the photographs, but always envisioned replacing that with an essay by a real writer, which we now have with Tim Davis. Several of the photographs will be spread across two pages and be up to 16 inches wide. We will be using Swiss binding which allows the open book to lie perfectly flat - a great feature for those 2-page spreads. We are also planning to include two four-page gatefolds - when unfolded those photographs will be 32 inches wide.

What is the drive, obsession, momentum all about that you own that draws you to such complex compositions? Well, I am not quite sure. Throughout my adult life I have developed a deep appreciation for the many forms of visual, literary, and performing arts. While I like to think that I have fairly broad, eclectic taste, for some reason I am particularly drawn to pieces that live at the two ends of a simplicity/complexity spectrum. Works on the one hand whose power dwells in their simplicity but require contemplation to absorb their meaning - and, at the other end of the spectrum, pieces that are multi-layered and dense. Think Japanese haikus and James Joyce; Erik Satie and Ornette Coleman, Ellsworth Kelly, and Jackson Pollock; Maya Lin’s Vietnam war memorial and Frank Gehry buildings. Early in my career I made minimalist, geometric photographs of architectural subjects. Around that same period, I spent a good deal of time visiting museums to view exhibitions of photography and other visual arts. After a while it occurred to me that many of the paintings by Krasner, Pollock, the De Koonings, and other twentieth century artists held my interest a lot longer than many of the photographs. This got me to thinking about photography in a different way. I did not want to become a painter, nor was I interested in making photographs that “look like paintings” but I did intentionally set out to make photographs that, like the paintings that captivated me, hold the viewer’s interest, reveal themselves over time, and reward repeated viewings. So, I started including more physical space in my viewfinder and making use of visual motifs – repeating colors, lines, and shapes throughout my field of view. As my work evolved, a point was reached where I was orchestrating a plethora of elements and nearly overloading the frame – a sort of compositional edge of chaos.

Unlike a pretty painting, a lovely landscape, your work captures and unnerves viewers into worlds that almost reflect the ways the world has given way to COVID. Are you surprised at the world’s turmoil and see a mirror image with your work? How do you relate to this? Is there a connection? True - with a few exceptions, my subject matter would not be described as “pretty” or “lovely.” In fact, most of it can be characterized as commonplace or banal, but that is sort of the point of the work – to find the photographic possibilities buried in the ordinary: a heap of scrap metal, fishing gear on a pier or boat, a cluster of vines. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I don’t necessarily always know or understand my entire motivation for creating something new, nor do I know how the work will be received and interpreted by others. We all have our own unique histories and paths in life which impacts our response when we encounter a creative work whether that be a photograph, painting, dance, novel, concert, or play. Even our mood, as well as the time and place in which we encounter the work can influence the impact of Continued on next page...

David Ricci Lawnmowe

the piece and the meaning we glean from it. I guess this is a roundabout way of saying that, of course I did not anticipate how chaotic our world would become, but, yes, my push to the edge of compositional cohesion does seem to align with the turmoil that surrounds us.

Creating a life’s work in a book is very time consuming and a serious dedication from start to finish. Can you clue us in to some of the process involved in doing such a project? Yes, it absolutely takes an enormous amount of time and dedication. I can give you a quick overview of one process for creating a photography book which is a bit different from producing a novel, memoir, or other non-fiction work. Developing a photobook requires a wide range of expertise. My prototype required a huge effort to conceptualize, plan, edit, sequence, design, and package it. The designer and I went through many iterations. That process was repeated, starting from scratch, when I started working with Fall Line Press. Publisher Bill Boling, senior editor and former National Geographic photographer Peter Essick, and I worked together over several months to edit and sequence the photographs. At times it was a bit of a struggle to see some of my favorites not make the cut, but in the end, I found it invaluable to have Bill and Peter, with their broad experience and keen insights, to lead the way. It was a collaborative process and a huge learning experience for me. EDGE did not really feel like a book until French designer Margaux Fraisse joined the team. She provided us with a couple of options for the overall design, layouts, fonts, image sizes and placement. We all suggested some tweaks, some were incorporated into the design, but in the end, it was Margaux who wrapped the photographs and text into a cohesive, exquisite book. So, we currently have a completely designed book in PDF format. The next step is to prepare the digital files and transfer them to SYL L’ART GRAFIC in Barcelona, Spain who will make the separations, print on archival paper with varnish, bind the books and ship them to the publisher. SYL has been printing finely crafted art books for over half a century – they do exquisite work!

How can people learn more about your photography and the process for developing EDGE? Thanks for asking! I will be giving a talk at Bernay Fine Art in Great Barrington on Saturday, September 18 at 4 PM. I will be showing several large prints and describe my path to publication in more detail than we’ve had time for here. The following Saturday I will be giving a shorter presentation that will be more focus on the book since I will be sharing the time with my friend, Berkshire photographer and Guggenheim fellow, Shaun O’Boyle. Shaun will be presenting his large format book “Portraits of Place in Antarctica” based on multiple visits to Antarctica with the National Science Foundation. Shaun and I will be at Shaker Mill Books in West Stockbridge at 7 PM on September 25th. Seating at Shaker Mill Books is limited to 40 people. Both events are free and open to the public.

If someone is interested in making a photography book, what’s your advice? The first thing I suggest is to write out a description of the book. What is the book about? Is it just a collection of your “greatest hits” or is there an overriding concept or theme? Make small prints of every image you think might possibly be in the book, attach them to walls and/or lay them out on tables. Then spend some time with them, returning time and again to try different groupings and sequences and to help solidify the concept. I think this is a crucial step in the process. Trying to determine groupings and sequences on a monitor has its limitations,

David Ricci Wonderland

whereas with prints it’s easy to move them around, look at various combinations, and get a sense of the entire flow. It’s helpful to develop at least a basic book dummy, either using physical materials or software like Adobe InDesign. You really need to research publishers online to determine what they are looking for and then focus on the ones most likely to be interested in your book idea. Write a clear, concise proposal, carefully check the submission requirements for your target publishers, and follow those guidelines. Print-on-demand services such as Blurb can be used to make a few hard copies that you can put into a publisher’s hands.

Making a book featuring color photographs is expensive. These days, most publishers of fine art photography books require the photographer to raise funds prior to publication to help cover the costs of production. How is that being handled for EDGE? The photography book publishing industry has changed dramatically over the last two decades. Due to a crowded, competitive market and high production costs for color photography, very few publishers are willing to take on the entire financial risk of developing, designing, and publishing a photobook – the main exceptions being photographers with national or international reputations or subject matter that has a large builtin audience (neither of which apply to me or my work). So, most publishers require some funding to be in place prior to printing. Even major players like Aperture have used crowdfunding as far back as 2013 to raise funds for some of their publications. Fall Line Press is dedicated to publishing a few exquisite fine art photography books each year, most of them in small print runs - usually 500 books. One of the great things about this company is that, rather than asking photographers to go off on their own to raise the funds, as many publishers do, Fall Line works with the photographers to reach a funding goal. We will be running a campaign on Kickstarter.com which will give us a feel for the level of interest in the book and to secure part of the funding for production.

Where and when will EDGE be available to purchase? The Kickstarter campaign is scheduled to run from September 8th to October 8th. We will be offering several rewards – items people receive in exchange for their pledge. At the time of this interview we are still finalizing the details, but we will be offering great opportunities for collectors and enthusiasts to acquire prints at an affordable price. The main reward of course is a copy of the book – simply asking people to commit to purchasing one or more copies a few months before receiving them. All books ordered on Kickstarter will be signed and shipped to the buyer. We will also be offering an optional add-on – an 8x10 print of an image from EDGE for a small additional cost. Other rewards include a 24-page booklet of photographs, larger collector prints, and an elegant portfolio of photographs hand-printed on archival paper, signed, in a limited edition of 5 or 6 - all at great prices and only available during the 30-day Kickstarter campaign. After the campaign the book can be purchased at Shaker Mill Books in West Stockbridge and online at falllinepress.com.

What has it been like working with the people at Fall Line Press? I feel very fortunate to be working with Fall Line Press to publish my book. It has been a great working relationship. The pandemic really set the publisher back on their timeline for publishing their other books which understandably pushed my publication date out. But I was happy that we took our time on image selection and design to make it all come together. Continued on next page...

David Ricci Vincent

And behind all these photographs, humans who we do not see cause this destruction, geometry, construction, while nature takes over and does the healing. Would this be a valid interpretation? Correct me if I am wrong. That’s a very interesting and insightful observation – even more so since you have not seen the image sequencing in EDGE. In the prototype, Edge of Chaos, I did not end with the nature photographs, but now we are. I guess you are a bit clairvoyant!

What does the cover look like? Designer Margaux Fraisse presented the team with several designs and there were aspects of all of them that I loved. Eventually we all gravitated to one layout that really grabbed us. Of course, we don’t yet have the actual copies in our hands, but Margaux made a great mock-up of the cover which accompanies this interview. The photograph will be debossed into the weave cloth hardcover and the cover text will be made using foil stamping. I think Margaux’s design is fabulous and I’d like to believe that you can judge this book by its cover.

And for those you have to say thank you to for supporting this project, who is on that list? The entire group at Fall Line Press made this happen for me and I will be forever grateful for that. Although the actual book development took place over the last couple of years, since EDGE harkens back to the early days of my career, my list of supporters is quite long but unfortunately, we only have time in this interview to mention a few. One person who comes to mind is Will Stapp who I met in the late ‘90s when I showed him a portfolio of prints at George Eastman House in Rochester, New York where he was the photography curator. Will spent a great deal of time looking at and studying each print I showed him. He was incredibly generous with his time and strongly encouraged me to continue in the direction I was headed. Davis Pratt, who was the curator of photography at the Fogg Museum at Harvard exhibited my early work in the print room at the museum. Two other curators come to mind - Marion Grant who curated my solo exhibition at The Berkshire Museum, and Lisa Weber Greenberg, whom I first met when she included me in a group exhibition at the DeCordova Museum and later curated my solo show at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, MA. Special thanks to gallerists who have exhibited and sold my work, in particular Tony Decaneas at Panopticon Gallery in Boston, Alison Collins and Fred Collins who showed my work in solo and group exhibitions for many years at Iris Gallery locations in Great Barrington, Boston, and Aspen and continue to represent me online, Paula Bernay and Lou Friedman who currently exhibit my work at Bernay Fine Art in Great Barrington. Michael Reichmann, Luminous Landscape and LensWork Magazine for awarding me the Publication Skills Grant which provided the seed money and initial impetus for developing the book dummy. Larry Chernicoff for his creative ideas and collaboration on developing the initial book design that caught the attention of Fall Line Press. The biggest shout out goes to my family and friends, too many to name, who have been incredibly supportive of my work over the years. All of you who have purchased prints, opened your homes to me as I wandered the country making photographs, and provided support in many other ways – a multitude of thanks. You know who you are. My beautiful wife Lori Warner for her undying support of me and my work, for accepting the role of in-house photo editor, and for being my biggest fan.

Publishing a book is like a gift you give to people, though does not take the place of buying the actual photography. Do you find

David Ricci Secret Village

that it might help to sell your work more so now that the book will be accessible to buy? Well, I think “gift” is the perfect word. My primary motivation for making the book is to put the work into the world at an affordable price and expand my audience. It probably sounds cliché but developing this book has truly been a labor of love. It is a gift in the sense that the motivation is certainly not financial. These books are very expensive to make, and we will be selling them at a very reasonable price - there isn’t much of a margin built in. Framed photographs hung on a wall has always been the way I have presented my work and continue to do so. But a photography book provides a decidedly different experience. It’s a different medium all together. You hold the book in your hands, it has a physicality to it, you can work through the sequence, compare images, return to some, read the text, and so on. On another day the book can be revisited. Being much more affordable than my large-scale prints, and easily distributed, EDGE will certainly expand my audience.

When you see a copy of the book, you must feel your life had a great purpose and you have accomplished a great deal. For you, what would you say you have accomplished by creating EDGE?

The cover David Ricci

Since this is my first book and it’s being published nearly 45 years after taking my first photograph, it is particularly gratifying to see the work come together in such a beautifully designed publication. I do hope that in some small way my photographs give people joy, inspire them, or stir them to see the world a little differently than they did before and that indeed is part of my purpose in life. But I believe the greater purpose for all of us is measured in other ways the close relationships we nurture with family and friends, our impact on the planet, and the things we do to better the lives of others, particularly children. My favorite photographs function as mile markers along the continuous thread of my life –reminders of how old I was, where I was, and what was happening in my life when I made, say, the photograph titled “Wonderland”? But two of the more meaningful milestones in my life are the day I met my wife Lori and the day my twin daughters were born. It’s difficult for me to imagine a life without making art, but even more unimaginable to contemplate life without the people I cherish.

All significant vital facts to be added here: contact info, book info. Etc

EDGE Photographs by David Ricci Essay by Tim Davis 8x12.25” Cloth, hard-bound, Swiss binding with gatefolds Book Design: Margaux Fraisse Photo Editors: David Ricci, William Boling, and Peter Essick Copy Editor: Megan Sexton Publisher: Fall Line Press First Edition Available on Kickstarter.com

Thank you, David!

Hello Friends of Elixir! As the summer sun begins to wane and the seasons begin to change, many people can begin to feel a sense of melancholia. While I am writing this, we are in the season that Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to as “Late Summer” and this gives us a chance to slowly get used to the changes that are upon us. This is my favorite season perhaps because I was born during this time, and perhaps because I love the wild foraging that is abundant now with Black Trumpet, Chicken of the Forest, and Oyster mushrooms everywhere, fields of waving Goldenrod, branches heavy with Elderberries, Hawthorne Berries, and Rose Hips just waiting to be harvested, dried and made into teas and tinctures. Part of the reason we feel saddened during this time is because the family gatherings are coming to an end, many are heading back to work or school after some weeks of “freedom” from a schedule, the nights are getting cooler, and yes, the days of slowly decreasing sunlight all have their effect on us. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each season has an element, a color, an organ, a tissue, a taste, and an emotion associated with it. This is a guide to help us stay aware of possible imbalances in our system and ways to strengthen ourselves as we move through the transitions between seasons. By the time this publication comes out, we will be in Autumn, element: metal, color: white, organ: lung/large intestine, tissue: skin, taste: pungent, and emotion: sorrow. There are daily practices as well as delicious medicinal foods and teas to bring us into balance and strengthen us for this season, and in preparation for the next. Brisk walking to get fresh air into the lungs, plenty of fiber in the diet in the form of whole grains and dark leafy greens, to tone the large intestine, with pungent foods such as onion, scallion, radish, & garlic as well as the pungent spices for tea made from turmeric, ginger, & pepper to get the blood circulating through the body and in the digestion, all help in reducing accumulation in the body. This is essential in strengthening our immune system for the colder months ahead. When we add these things to our daily routine and diet, we create physical and emotional balance. Then we have more energy and an overall sense of wellness. What could be better than that for enjoying the beautiful Berkshire Autumn? Let’s all take good care of our health as we head into this winter! Contact us for more information on healing foods, private cooking & well-being consultations. Elixir - organictearoom@gmail.com; www.elixirgb.com. Follow us on Instagram: elixirtearoom; Facebook: elixir

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The sound of the sea, the curve of a horizon, wind in leaves, the cry of a bird leave a manifold impression in us. And suddenly, without our wishing it at all, one of these memories spills from us and finds expression in musical language… I want to sing my interior landscape with the simple artlessness of a child. —Claude Debussy

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There is a greater reality than this world. There is a greater power than this world.

And it revealed itself to A young girl of 17 at a time when the world stood still.

Oh, Jeanne I crossed an ocean for you. Oh, Jeanne I crossed a continent for you. I looked and looked for a sign of you.

I stood in the room where you were born, Felt the presence of your childhood, what there was of it.

I walked in the meadows where the voices first spoke to you, and listened. I heard only your absence.

I crisscrossed France, just as you had, In search of you, and your journey, and your destiny.

My heart fell captive to you, over and over at the location of your arrest. I climbed each stair of the tower where you were imprisoned. I sat on the stone slab where you slept, where you were raped and chained. I sat with eyes closed and witnessed the rough hands that ripped your clothing. I heard your prayers of compassion for the men who tortured you. I walked down the stairs to the place of trial where they laughed at you and made a mockery of your gift,

I stood at the foot of the flames where they burned you, while you waited silently to enter death and the gates of Heaven.

I saw their faces when they, in shock, realized that they had martyred a Saint.

And nearly five hundred years later your power remains for any who seek it.

I found you on my journey in a cold damp Cathedral in France where I stood before your marble statue,

that was dressed in your armor, holding the banner that you had carried across France that you never let touch the ground.

And I watched a Holy Lady bow before you and weep for your pain.

As her tears fell at your feet I saw with my own eyes the breath of the Divine enter the statue and I watched without blinking the chest rise in unison with my own.

I saw the eyes open just long enough to show me the blissful joy that was your inheritance.

I was the perfect witness. No one could tell me differently. And I saw the statue resume its stone cold reality.

But I never resumed mine and even to this day, when I feel weak or lost or lonely or afraid of this brutal world we live in I think back to that cold winter day in France, having given up of ever finding my sweet Jeanne.

And I think on you and I am made stronger. I am helped to endure whatever it is at the moment And I know dreams do come true, and that Truth was your message.

Follow your dream to the end no matter what.

And Jeanne, I love you still, And I call out your name to the ethers

Jeanne de Arc Jeanne de Arc Jeanne de Arc

by Bobby Miller

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