Tom Lee

Norman, United States

Artist's Statement:
"If Any Question": Rudyard Kipling's son was killed in World War One. Kipling wrote the poem shortly after his son's death. In a few short lines he exposed a truth that unfortunately, is timeless.

"Untitled": The nature of politics and war does not change. When we forget the lessons of history we will repeat the same mistakes over and over. Unfortunately these days the trumpets are playing "Hail the Chief".

I define art as the ability to make the complex appear simple and the ordinary appear extraordinary.

My job as an artist is to stop and notice the beauty that rushes past. In order to concentrate on the subject, I simplify my technique, one camera, one lens, one film, and one paper. As the composition evolves I record my impression on film. In the darkroom I interpret what that impression means to me.

My photographs are made with a Leica manual range finder camera and a normal lens. I use black and white negative film, the images are printed on silver gelatin archival rag paper.