These images are undeniably about the St. Croix River; its life, its ever-moving water is offered up to the viewer. But by highlighting small details of the grand landscape in my photographs, I am challenging my viewers to find their own rivers within the remainder of the composition. As is true in viewing almost any photograph, clarity of memory is often found within foggy representations.
These essays and images reveal the process of making a body of work. The text is, for the most part, derived from journal entries that I made during the creation of Proof as it was conceived for my MFA thesis at the University of Minnesota.
The images in this gallery are part of a chapter that I authored, entitled “The Search for Moose.” All of these photographs were made in Minnesota as I searched for this very illusive animal (mostly in vain).
This is Eliza’s wedding, which took place entirely on a midwestern farm. I photographed her and her husband, Michael, as they celebrated with their closest friends and family.
In these juxtapositions Martin puts into play an encounter between photographs and elements that elude photography: dimensionality, time, the actual colors of the day, the touch of skin. In the silence we are encouraged to think about the actions that took place the moment after the shutter snapped (and before), or the fifty years of life that may have followed the session in the photographer’s studio. -Joyce Lyon, January 26, 2003
Martin Springborg Photographs 