Terry’s AUGGIE WREN COLLECTION

Gold Beach
Vashon-Maury Island, Washington:
View of the East Passage shoreline and abandoned pier pilings from Maury Island’s Gold Beach

In the film Smoke, Harvey Keitel plays the role of Auggie Wren, the owner of a Brooklyn corner smoke shop. Each morning, Auggie stands kitty-corner from his shop and sets up a camera on a tripod. Then at exactly 8:00 am he makes one exposure of his store while disregarding all activity in front of his lens. He then returns to open his shop and begin his daily engagement with his customers.

Astoria, Oregon:  Abandoned wharf pilings on the Columbia river

One day, Auggie asks a regular customer, Paul–played by William Hurt–to come to his apartment to view his collection of daily photographs. Auggie is passionate about the photos and considers it his life’s work. As Paul begins to quickly turn the pages of the photo album, he comments that all the images are the same because they’re of the same scene. But Auggie convinces him to slow down and take a closer look. Soon Paul discovers that the images have more differences than similarities and one in particular touches his heart.

Vashon Island, Washington:
Dawn, fog on Tramp Harbor and the East Passage. Salish Sea

So it is with this Auggie Wren collection. Each image is monochromatic and pared down to a few shared elements: abandoned marine pilings, smooth water, overcast skies, soft light, an ambiguous horizon and an overall tranquil mood; a sense of quietness and solitude.

Vashon Island, Washington:
Colvos Passage from Beulah Park Cove, pilings and reflections

The difference between me and Auggie is that while he is making his images in the same location with varying elements, I am using the same elements in various locations. My intent is to encourage the viewer to examine the differences and the subtle  mood shifts elicited by these minimal variables.

 

Port Townsend, Washington:
Admiralty Inlet with abandoned pilings near Point Hudson

 

Pacific County, Washihgton:
Columbia River sand islands and pilings with the Oregon coastal range in the distance

 

Vashon-Maury Island, Washington:
View of the East Passage shoreline and abandoned pier pilings from Maury Island’s Gold Beach

 

Astoria, OR
Astoria-Megler Bridge spanning the Columbia River

 

Tokeland, Washington:
Abandoned pilings on the shore of Willapa Bay, Port of Willapa Harbor

 

 

Vashon-Maury Island, Washington:
View of the East Passage shoreline and abandoned pier pilings from Maury Island’s Gold Beach

 

 

Astoria, Oregon:
Abandoned pilings along the waterfront of the Columbia River, tankers anchored in the distance

 

 

Vashon Island, Washington:
Abandoned pilings from the old mosquito fleet dock at Vashon Landing on the East Passage, Salish Sea

 

 

Vashon Island, Washington:
Dawn, fog on Tramp Harbor and the East Passage. Salish Sea

 

Vashon Island, Washington:
Winter fog and sunrise reflections on Tramp Harbor, pilings and high tide

Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, KY

by Terry Donnelly

Beginning at the age of 22 Micajah Burnett designed and built many of the buildings in the Shaker village at Pleasant Hill, KY. This elegant spiral staircase is one of two in the Trustee’s House (1839). The two staircases stand mirroring each other ascending three stories from the building’s main hallway and are quite striking with patterns and play of light.

Spiral staircase in the three story Trustee House
First floor, spiral staircase in the trustee house in the Shaker Village
Second floor, spiral staircase in the trustee house in the Shaker Village

Of necessity, to accommodate this round stairwell the adjacent rooms also curved in the most delicate and graceful manner. What a luxury to spend time in this spacious room.

Hotel Room at Pleasant Hill

The part of the hotel stay that still makes me smile was the access I had to the building interior that would otherwise been problematic. As it was, I photographed the marvelous stairs structures and hallways unhurriedly at odd hours of the day before and after the staff and guests were moving about. With the candle-like sconces being the only artificial lighting, I was also able to remove various bulbs to control the wonderful shadows in the stairwells. A Regular kid in a candy-store I was.

 

Upper hallway skylight,  at Pleasant Hill

 

 

A SILENT MARCH

Last Friday evening (June 12th) a Silent March in support of the Black Lives Matter protests drew the participation of an estimated five hundred Vashonites. As the march proceeded through Vashon’s main business district everyone took a knee for eight minutes and fifty eight seconds in memory of George Floyd’s murder and all people of color unjustly killed.

The silence on our typically noisy main street was profound and surreal; no chatting or even murmuring, nor vehicular traffic although the roads were not blocked. Social interaction was largely absent among these people of our small community, people who are familiar to themselves and had not had the chance to interact for months. Personal visits set aside for a common expression of support and solidarity and grief and resolve and love. The pictures tell the story.

Vashon, Washington:
A silent march in solidarity with Black Lives Matter on Vashon’s main street. Organized by Vashon in Solidarity Alliance