Artist Statement Jill P. Mott- Third Effect
Photographers are trained to see details in light, composition and moments.
Often our busy lives don’t allow us the time—or more often than not the space—to see the details of life that make it so rich. Most days we don’t even take a second look at how our day was or what it meant.
What I find most interesting is how often these details can turn into more meaningful signs. Photography offers me a medium to use on a daily basis to preserve these moments, and provides a concrete way to look back and review them.
In 2013, I committed to challenging myself to shoot a photo a day for 365 days. My vision of the challenge was basic- be committed and consistent. I am not someone who lives by routine; I am easily distracted, and often overbooked. I didn’t set out on a creative journey, just a basic commitment to take the time to look at everyday life and document it.
I spent the year documenting the random details of my life. Some days I used my cell phone, others my big girl camera (Nikon, of course). Each day I created a new picture–some were ok, some I loved and many I hated. It has only been in the editing process for this show that I have begun to understand how life always tends to make more sense when looking back instead of when you are looking forward.
What I have found intriguing in this process is the relationship between the images when they are sequenced together in diptychs. Creating a Third Effect. One image has a meaning, another its own independent meaning, and together they create an entirely different meaning/impact/story.
The images together create a meaning for me, but also can be interpreted by the viewer through their own experience. Maybe you have an art background and see the relationship between shape, color and texture; maybe you have a sense of humor a bit like mine and see the (somewhat twisted) jokes; or maybe somehow there is an emotional connection to the juxtaposition of the images.
Maybe you get chuckle, maybe you walk away scratching your head wondering what the relationship is…either way…the Third Effect is the one that counts.