Linda Claff
Artist Statement I have always loved looking for patterns. As an English teacher, I spent years helping students find and appreciate the structure of poetry, the patterns of metaphor in a novel, the interweaving of plot and character development . And then in retirement, I rediscovered black and white photography, and began to explore the patterns and structure of the world through a lens. It's all there, as organized and lyrical as a poem.Of late, my camera seems to be moving closer and closer to subject, my photographs becoming more and more abstract. But every once in a while, especially on a yearly trip to the Southwest, I move back to take in the whole remarkable landscape. I'm having a glorious time!
I have exhibited at the Sharon Arts Gallery, the Hancock Library, and with the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists in Exeter. I have recently studied with master photographer Bruce Barnbaum at his studio in Washington State.
Influences? My husband, David Rheubottom, whose photographic insight, artistry, and patience are an inspiration; Victor Hasselblad, who created a camera that steadfastly refuses to let me make a technical error; and Brett Weston, whose photographs take my breath away.
Biography