Small Views of Fluvanna County

Over an extended period, I put together a photographic  essay on the South Shore of Long Island, where my family lived for many years. I called it an emotional response to the region, and assembling the elements of the essay was quite satisfying.

Meanwhile, I became aware of the extended visual essays of Japanese woodblock artists of the 17th through the 19th century. Documentation of things as they were, viewed personally.

I have now lived in Central Virginia for nearly 15 years, and Fluvanna County for five. I want to create a visual document of this area that is less of an emotional response, and more of a documentation--although certainly a documentation skewed by my sensibility.

While the Japanese masters created numbered sets (100 Famous Views of Edo, 36 Views of Mount Fuji, etc.) Views of Fluvanna County has not yet got an upper limit. 

Fluvanna, where I live, is a small county in central Virginia 120 miles southwest of Washington DC. We're 40 miles and more west of Richmond, and part of the Charlottesville metropolitan area.

A principal concern expressed by residents as well as planners, developers and administrators is the 'preservation of our rural character.' This essay began as an exploration of the character of Fluvanna County. 

Rural is not suburban, or exurban, nor is it natural. People move here from northern cities and suburbs and then complain about noise. Rural is noisy--farm machinery and big rigs, chain saws and chippers, dogs and guns. Rural is tractors and trucks going slow on country roads and sometimes on through routes. Rural is animals -- farm animals, pets domestic and not so domestic, game and predators. Rural is having animals close and having them rank higher in the order of things than they might elsewhere.

The photographs in this series have been taken with conventional and digital imaging devices. All the images have been manipulated digitally, and printed using high-quality long-lasting materials. Prints have been exhibited primarily at a size of about 9 inches (23 cm) in the larger dimension, but are available in custom sizes.

Mounted, matted prints suitable for framing are $40 each, with substantial discounts for orders for five or more prints at the same time. Please inquire.