Modern Images of the Natural World by Ted Barkhorn

Spiritual journeys often find us unexpectedly; a visual trigger shoots memories and recognition to the surface as we reach back to move forward. And so, it was for photographer Ted Barkhorn whose spirituality grounds his modern images of the natural world, premiering in New York City, January 28, 2019 (on exhibit through February 6th at NOVO ARTS, 263 Bowery).

Happening upon inverted Redwood roots in New Paltz, New York during a hiking expedition, he was struck by the majesty and pathos of these giant gnarled and twisted roots. He felt an emotional and spiritual connection and so he began to photograph them. Three years later as he prepared a portfolio to demonstrate his credentials for a critical business venture, the outline of the Virgin Mary suddenly became apparent in a photo that appears to replicate in nature the famed Pieta of Michelangelo. This discovery started Barkhorn down a road less travelled, a voyage of spiritual discovery deeply rooted in his connection to the natural world.

“Photographing these roots, once majestic now tragically ripped from the earth, is an organic process," states Barkhorn. "I look at them and I see the spiritual intertwined with the natural. To be able to capture an authentic spiritual evolution in my art fills me with gratitude. Like stained glass windows, I conceive of my photography as way to draw people in, to intrigue the eye as spirituality, faith and art all come together.”

Barkhorn’s photography of the Redwood roots is unadulterated, there is no manipulation of the form, the light, or the discovery. Color, selected by, he says, “an unseen hand” may bring forward a pattern formed by the wood itself. This pattern that’s revealed only by the camera, is mirrored for a kinetic, kaleidoscopic effect. The images remain genuinely true to nature. Indeed, as, Barkhorn wants us to remember, it was Henry David Thoreau who said, “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

The images of Redwood roots absorb the feeling of the earth, expressing Barkhorn’s passion for the planet and the spiritual reconnection he experiences when he is at one with nature. Growing up in New Jersey he spent a great deal of time around landscapers, finding them compassionate and creative, guiding growth with their hands. After a successful career as a professional photographer, he decided to become a landscaper himself. Interestingly enough, his spiritual journey led him to create a hybrid of both careers, photography that reveals his own personal roots as he visualizes nature with an artist’s eye.

Modern Images of The Natural World: Photographs by Ted Barkhorn will be exhibited in New York City for the first time at NOVO ARTS - 263 Bowery, New York City, January 28 through February 6th, 2019. Barkhorn’s photos are also available for purchase at www.tedbarkhorn.com.