KEV FILMORE
ARTIST'S STATEMENT

My job as a high school photography teacher affords me the time in summers to train in new technologies, develop project ideas, reflect and discover. Full time teaching keeps me in constant touch with young people and new ideas. I try to walk the walk and teach what I do by example. I am as vulnerable as my student's are; by venturing as artists we take risk with each mark we make. A willingness to expose oneself through expression requires a certain courage, and my students and I make this journey together. They contribute to my process with valuable critiques and unique perspectives.

I feel similarly about making portraits. It is a collaborative process and one I truly enjoy. The element of surprise is part of the fun and the detective work of finding good subjects is also very satisfying. Approaching strangers and asking them to share their stories and make pictures with me is both challenging and rewarding. I am asking each soul to bare themselves to me, even if just for a split second. I am interested in capturing a little piece of humanity and slowing the eye down enough to reflect for a moment on where we are all headed.

Drawing light and shadow with a camera or with a pencil does not represent two different processes to me. Drawing is the basis for my photography - the vision is the same whether using the camera's eye or by direct observation. I love to mix the mediums and push the boundaries in order to attempt to make pictures that are reflective of my feelings and ideas. Recent leaps in technology offer new tools for endless possibilities. The process is what is most important to me.

The marriage of teaching and making art is a good one for me. I strive to make a positive contribution to the world of imagery through my pictures and teaching.