We appreciate and congratulate Martin Waugh ‘s free-flowing
photography which captures the smooth and effortless curves of water, eliciting a
childlike sense of fun and whimsy. Interpretations of his work often reveal as much
about the viewer as the artist.
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He shares a few lines exclusively with h2bidblog on how water continues to intrigue and fascinate him. His work can be viewed below:
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I grew up in a dry part of the country, where water was treasured for its live-giving
potential. Without irrigation, the land was cactus, yucca, and milkweed. We had a
pond and a ditch near our house and my brothers and I spent countless summer days swimming and wading, catching fish, crawdads and frogs, and undertaking countless
imagined expeditions. So, in many ways, water represented the joy of youthful summer
times, full of energy and potential.
Later, I moved to the Northwest, where we have plentiful water. Here, instead of
using ditches to bring water to us, we use them to carry it away. This abundance
led me to take up whitewater kayaking and, through that, I have enjoyed the
bountiful rivers the area has to offer. That has given me beautiful landscapes
from a rare vantage point, a sense of personal achievement, and a visceral
understanding of fluid flow. In many ways, I have adopted the process of
navigating down a river as a metaphor for life. I had to learn to resist pushing
on the river, to use the force of the river to help me with my goal, to understand
that there are many paths down the same river, and to be ready to be upside
down and out of control from time to time.
Now, I spend a lot of time photographing water – one drop at a time. I am just
as amazed at what a single drop can do as I have been with a ditch, a pond, or a
river. There is a world of interactions, a balance of forces, and an intriguing beauty.
In my photographs, I try to capture the grace and power of the liquid and the sense
of purity that water conveys.
—Martin Waugh