Keith Prue works in reverse from most. He starts with a concept and then finds selections from his extraordinary black and white photographs to fulfill the visual and emotional needs of the project. In the case of "Letter from a Friend", Keith begins with a final letter from a friend who committed suicide in Boston while Keith was away in San Diego. The selection of Keith's work presented here is his emotional response to this very trying moment in his life. A few of the images were taken in direct response to his feeling. Most came from his archives. They all add up to a very power yet subtle visual statement. Note: If anyone has the opportunity to see Keith's original black and white digital prints using carbon inks, it is worth the experience.
The final missive—sent by a fellow voyager who lost his way
When your sense of purpose is missing, and relationships and connections with others start to feel removed and remote, loneliness and isolation usually manifest. Dealing with the impermanence of all things, as we traverse life's many avenues, dark days can feel too heavy and burdensome, lacking the inner sharing light we so long for. Suffering can start to appear optional: turbulent inner emotions distorting our sense of perspective, with the pain of disconnect from life forming like a cancerous growth, slowly nibbling at the core. On this journey it may feel like we have a choice at every crossroads, to follow this path or that: ultimately they all lead to the same place, a place we call home.
Artist Statement
During my teenage years there was intrigue recording events with a camera. Later on, capitalizing on the extraordinary opportunity for travel afforded while working in international finance, I delighted in photographing new environments over many countries and continents.
More recently pictures emerge from a deeper place. When looking through the lens, alive to the anticipation and excitement of seeing anew, there is a mysterious convergence of inner and outer worlds; any preconceived ideas merely acting as signposts or pointers, rather than rigid constructions, to be discarded during this moment of wonder. This way of working leads to compiling portfolios after the fact, revealing coherence and meaning whereas at the point of capture there was simply seeing; these presentations being in a continual state of flux as response to the work and surrounding world evolves.
Bio
Born and raised in England, Keith Prue has lived and worked on four continents and traveled to more than forty countries. Keith was introduced to photography in his early teens, and after a hiatus of many years, his passion was rekindled while attending workshops with Ernesto Bazan. He has also studied with Ben Lifson and Aline Smithson. Keith resides in Waltham, Massachusetts.