Madmen? (Artists) in a Box

While one of my favorite TV characters happily admits he is a madman with a box, and I know a few people would state that I'm a madman who should be placed in a box, this idea of placing artists in a box doesn't really work well with me.

I know and understand I need to play the game, to a degree, to get placements in many galleries.  The game they like is a single body of work coming from an artist that deals with ONE subject (or related subject) and ONE style, I find it too confining.  When I'm out shooting, I rarely think of what I'll do with my pictures when I'm done.  Sometimes I have an idea in mind, but I won't just look for appropriate subjects for that idea as I could miss a lot. I like to shoot what grabs me!

There is one picture that sat on my hard drive for over a year before I even processed it and only now have an idea of how I will print it, just haven't had the time, nor materials, to make that print yet. It is also a great example of how I have an idea in mind, sometimes, when I shoot but take a picture of what I like.  I was shooting frozen waterfalls that day and here I took a picture of this bridge that was behind me as well.

I think artists shouldn't confine themselves UNLESS that is the only thing they want to do.  We should push ourselves, expand our minds and abilities to help keep our work more interesting.  It also helps to keep me from getting too burned out.  I switch to something else to 'take a break' or I just let my eye flow from subject to subject, capturing what interests me, and not thinking about will the subject work for a specific style or not.  The picture will tell me what style it should be. (Yes, I realize that statement only reinforces the idea that I am a madman, but I like it!)

So next time you are talking with an artist in a gallery and you only see that single style there, ask them what else they do.  Who knows, maybe you'll find a photographer who doesn't leather carving as well....