art
One of the best things about living in Washington, D.C., is access to a wide array of museums and galleries, many of which are free. Whenever I'm a bit bored or don't know what to do with myself, I can always head downtown and venture into one of the Smithsonian museums, or the National Gallery of Art, to see some of the world's great artistic works.
At the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum alone I've discovered a number of artists, including my personal photographic hero, Hiroshi Sugimoto. The National Gallery is home to one of the best collections of Impressionist paintings; I could stare at Claude Monet's paintings of the Rouen Cathedral all day. The National Portrait Gallery/Museum of American Art is a fantastic space -- two museums in one -- that always displays great portraiture, especially in photography.
But I like going to these galleries not just to look at great art. They're also a nice social experience. I like watching people interact with art -- contemplate it, react to it, ignore it. There's something about the quiet reflection that compels me to photograph it.
Of course, art can be anywhere, not just in museums. It can be on a street corner in Montmartre; it can be graffiti on the side of a building; it can be a tomb in church crypt. It can be a compelling picture composed of nothing but another work of art.
So here is my collection of art, of people making art, of people interacting with art.
