Water: Elemental and Fundamental

Juror’s Statement

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eiseley

The driest place in the world is the Atacama Desert in South America, which receives four inches of rain every thousand years. The wettest place on earth is in India – Mawsynram has a yearly rainfall of 467 inches. There is no doubt that every inhabitant on this planet (as well as wilderness and agriculture) is affected by water on a daily basis in its various forms – liquid water, water ice, and water vapor.

How does one visually capture something as definitive and elusive and shape-shifting as water?

The primary intent during the selection process for the Water, Elemental and Fundamental exhibit was to select work that prompts the viewer to see “water” in an unexpected way. So many generally gorgeous images passed through the winnowing process, as I wanted to choose work that showed how water might make one feel. I thought of words like ‘scale’, ‘submersion’, ‘lucent’, and ‘primordial’. In the end, I hope this exhibit gives an exploratory yet balanced experience to the viewer, and perhaps a renewed appreciation.

- Laura Moya

About the Juror

The Director of Photolucida for eight years, Laura Moya has juried for Critical Mass, Blue Sky Gallery’s Northwest Drawers, Newspace Center for Photography, United Photo Industries/The Fence and PhotoPlace Gallery. She has curated exhibits at 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland (Photo Alchemy: An Exhibition of Alternative Process Photography, and Resurrection: A New Look at Old Photographic Processes), at the Lishui International Photo Festival in China (Desiree Edkins, Lori Vrba), and the Xiang Sha Wan Photo Festival in Inner Mongolia (Kathleen Laraia McLaughlin, Nancy Newberry, Jane Alden Stevens). Laura co-curated an independent project, The Early Works Project (www.earlyworksproject.org) which exhibited at Newspace Center for Photography, Rayko Photo Center, and the Center for Fine Art Photography. She has also written pieces for Finite Foto (Lisa Law, Taj Forer), Griffin Museum’s Critic’s Pick (Chris McCaw), and Photo-eye ‘s blog (Lucas Foglia, Marjolaine Ryley).

Call for Entries

Liquid, frozen, or vapor, water in all its forms can be one of nature’s most powerful forces and humans’ most peaceful companions. It occupies 75% of our planet and 65% of our bodies, and it’s become the yardstick by which we measure global warming. For this exhibition, we sought photographs in any style that told us more about water.