Okay, not my usual stuff, and kind of cliche, but what the hell…the clouds looked neat.

Just a little project I thought I’d share with you…
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Harmony limited edition 5”x7” print set. $35 including shipping (U.S.).
Each limited edition set consists of ten 5”x7” archival prints from the Harmony series (plus a couple of new images) presented in a handmade, linen textured, acid-free box signed with edition number (ed. of 50). These prints are created upon ordering, and no two sets are exactly the same. The images are printed on Museo® Silver Rag Archival Fine Art Paper – 100% cotton with a luster finish and a nice heavy weight (300 GSM). Pay with Paypal, $35 (U.S. only, please email about international shipping). http://jeffseltzerphotography.com/prints/

Hi, All. Again, I could use some of your great editing skills for this “artist statement.” I’m horrible at writing this stuff…there’s an irony to this place that I don’t think is captured well in the text. I don’t like the way the text ends – it needs a better conclusion. Help!
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Not everyone can – or should – buy a home, but that didn’t stop many homebuyers from pursuing the American Dream, even if they couldn’t afford it. The result? The worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. But, the American Dream – or the illusion of the dream – is still alive and well: consider Valley Gardens in Solvang, California (near Santa Barbara), which offers a monthly rental of “new manufactured housing inspired by cottage style homes.”  

The community offers all the trappings of Americana, including street lighting, fire hydrants, paving, landscaping, individual porches…even a Main Street of sorts. Every unit even features a two car driveway. If you squint your eyes hard enough, you might see something other than a dressed-up mobile home park. But, open your eyes and you see a sadness that permeates the space – a sort of loneliness. Valley Gardens is only a poor facsimile of “Any Town, U.S.A.” Living here is not the American Dream, it’s only an illusion. But, sometimes close is good enough.

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“…But, the solace of isolation is but a fleeting moment and deliberate illusion. While the scenes are without people, there is tangible evidence that people were here, and will be back again. The spaces are empty for only the moment I escape to them with my camera. When I leave, they will be once again occupied — just as I will be once again connected to my everyday life.”

Thanks everyone for your input. Artist statements are so lame, but necessary. How does this work? Do you like “By Myself” as a title, or “Are You Happy?”
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By Myself (or, “Are You Happy?”)

Often, I’m only happy when I’m by myself, alone with my thoughts, isolated from the requisite pressures and responsibilities of a 40-year-old husband and father. These images are designed to convey the sense of emptiness and aloneness that I often seek as an escape, where I the viewer am the only participant. But, the solace of isolation is but a fleeting moment and deliberate illusion. While the scenes are without people, there is tangible evidence that people were here, and will be back again. The spaces are empty for only the moment I escape to them with my camera. When I leave, they will be once again occupied — just as I will be once again connected to my everyday life.

Thanks for the help with interpreting my new images. How does this work as an Artist Statment? I’m very open to edits.

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“A heart that’s full up like a landfill

A job that slowly kills you

Bruises that won’t heal

“…I’ll take a quiet life

A handshake of carbon monoxide.”

(Radiohead)

I’m forty years-old with a wife, two daughters, a house, and a nice car. I have a good job and lots of friends. I have little to complain about. Yet, I often times I feel more isolated than ever. Despite all the good around me, some days I’m happiest alone – isolated from the mounting responsibilities and pressures of my everyday life.

The images are designed to convey the sense of emptiness and aloneness that I often seek as an escape. Yet, I don’t feel total disillusion. The solace of isolation is but a fleeting moment or perhaps an illusion. For that reason, while the scenes are without people, there is evidence that people were there, and will be back again — a coffee cup, sneaker marks, an empty car, graffiti, even the buildings themselves are empty for only the moment I see them with my camera. When I leave, they will be once again occupied — just as I will be once again connected to my everyday life.

Hi, All. Thanks *so* much for all your valuable input and insight on my new images (see post below). You’ve given me a lot to think about. Here are a few new images to the series

Slide show of all images:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffseltzer/sets/72157624422273802/show/

Hi, all. I have a series of images I’ve taken over the past month or two. It wasn’t conscious, but I’ve realized the share a similar look and feel, and they represent a depature from many of my more “popular” photos - these are wider framed, with less emphasis on pattern. To be totally honest, I’m not sure what compelled me to take these images…I don’t even know if they are GOOD images??

What do you see as the commonality (besides the processing)? I’m looking for help tying these images together, or a perhaps they don’t belong together, or they aren’t “worth” it? What’s the theme? What do they say to YOU (if anything)?? I need help with my artist statement!

Here’s a link to a slideshow (with a couple extras):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffseltzer/sets/72157624422273802/show/

Found myself on a very quick business trip in Denver, CO. Found this little self-serve car wash.

Something sad and lonely about this new home site.