Welcome to the Image Revolution

Featured image by: Andrea Gessat

Yesterday morning: I wake up. Late. Like most of my mornings in recent weeks. Drudging into a new Monday. With too many worries and routines that demanded my energy. I fumble for my iPad, willing it to occupy my headspace and give me an excuse to stay in bed a little longer. Another routine.

What am I doing? I’m an artist. I surround myself with artists. World class, freaking amazing artists. And yet….I’m in a rut. Life. I need some inspiration here!

I log into Facebook. Lots of my art life takes place there. And the top post in my news feed is like a slice of heavenly sky cake frosted with prophetic angel dust:

If you’re reading this post, you probably know who Andrea is. Madly driven, charismatic, creative; he’s the founder of The New Era Museum, an international collective of world class IPhonographers and he has just issued a decree directly to me and he doesn’t even realize it.

I immediately start the group on Facebook. And the instant buzz is palpable. For so long I’ve felt somewhat isolated in my desire to create images freely, without labels or justifications. Without segregating my mobile, DSLR, analog, and collage images into neat little boxes. Okay, I’m a rebel. So I’ve been doing whatever the hell I want. But so much of my work can’t be shown in the various art circles I orbit around because of that. I post a mini-diatribe to the newly formed group:

“For a really long time, I’ve been waiting for the right moment for this group! I love creating with my iPhone. I’ll always do that. But I also love using my other 5 cameras. I love collaging, mixed media, scribbling on my photos. I quite simply love creating images.

I adore the iPhonography community and how readily it has accepted me. But just as it was formed in the face of discrimination from the general photography community, I sometimes worry that it tends to discriminate back.

If we were painters, no one would ask us what brand of paint or brushes we’d used. If we were dancers, our shoes would not make or break our performances. This is a place where we can freely share, discuss, motivate, inspire, teach and learn, and just BE artists!”

I get that artists tend to think outside the lines and push things beyond the limits. I get that I’m not doing anything new. I should have gotten that I wasn’t alone in my feelings and longings. In fact, it seems I’m in good company.

This morning: I wake up and immediately jump out of bed. I go to the desktop computer and log into Facebook. Waiting for me are over 400 amazing artists in this new group and so many outstanding, creative, imaginative images. I smile. I haven’t even made coffee yet. But already, I hear the ambitious words forming in my head, “Today is a good day for a revolution!”