New Inspiration, New Direction.
Over the last few years, I’ve seen lots of exhibitions all over Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York. It’s such a great experience to view other people’s work, to see how things are presented, and to learn about different ways of approaching a subject. Attending exhibits of other artists can be inspiring, showing you what is possible with a particular medium, style, or presentation. It can inform your own work, making you realize what you do or don’t like and where you’d like to take your art in the future.
An exhibition of Richard Learoyd’s work in NYC, March 2025.
Last year, I published a blog post about how seeing the work of Miho Kajioka completely caught me off guard, shaking the very foundation of how I practiced photography. Miho’s work taught me to experiment more, to play and have fun, and to try new things. Though I didn’t start imitating her work, it changed the way I took photographs. Today, Miho remains a large influence on my photography, but now I’ve seen the work of some other respected photographers in person which has shifted my direction even more.
Masao Yamamoto is another Japanese photographer who continually inspires me. I was fortunate enough to see a showing of his work in person in New York City. Georgia O’Keeffe was also an amateur photographer herself, and I was able to check out an exhibit of her photography at the Addison Gallery. Now, what do these three photographers have in common?
For one thing, the size of their photographs. Each photographer works small. Yamamoto treats his photos as objects, intending for them to be handled, to fit into the palm of one’s hand. O’Keeffe’s technique was to print her photographs directly from the negatives without enlarging them, creating very small pieces. Miho doesn’t work quite so tiny, but neither is her work very large either. Something I noticed about these small works is the experience of looking at them. In order to see the details, the viewer has to move in close. This creates a sense of intimacy, almost an interactive encounter. You really have to pay attention. The work grabs you in a different kind of way than a large piece that can be viewed from across the room.
These three artists also work in black and white, which I find appealing. The two Japanese photographers’ work looks aged, which is done intentionally. O’Keeffe’s work actually is aged, some of it from over 100 years ago. This makes it seem delicate, and reminds one of the passing of time. They’re really imbued with a sense of mono no aware, a Japanese term which speaks to impermanence and beauty, that each moment is unique and something to appreciate.
So what has the impact of all of this been on my own work?
An example of my “tiny prints.” Top: an inkjet print. Bottom: a cyanotype of the same image.
Well, lately I’ve been over the moon about making what I endearingly call my “tiny prints.” The average size of this new work is 2x3 inches. To me, these photos are really precious. Some of the photos are printed from my black and white negatives using an inkjet printer, but I’ve been increasingly drawn to alternative processes as well. With this technique, I’ve been using small paper scraps as a material to print cyanotypes. And speaking of paper, it has become more and more important to me to select papers which I feel have as much character as the image that’s printed on it. I now buy a lot of my paper from Paper Connection International, which supplies fine handmade papers from Asia.
This new direction has got me really excited. I had been having some struggles over the last year with finding a direction. Project ideas came and went. But now… I feel that something good is on the horizon. I don’t yet know how this work will come together as a cohesive collection, but I’m letting it all happen naturally. If you want to watch the work take form, be sure to follow my Instagram or Patreon. Thanks for being here with me on this continuing journey.
