Contemplative Art

Jenna Keiper, CAC Multimedia Producer

The Contemplative Art of Photography

From nearly the very beginning, the Daily Meditations emails have included an image at the top. I create and produce photo and video work here at the CAC, and — inspired by the photography of contemplative leader Thomas Merton— experiment with creatively responding from a place of contemplation. Sometimes this means using my own camera to create, sometimes inviting other artists to share their work, and sometimes I search wider using public domain tools to find obscure images from around the world.

I often think of the phrase “just this” (from Richard Rohr’s book of the same title) or “this-ness” when I create or curate audiovisual work. For me, to see is to receive the moment just as it is. Where do we find rest and stillness in everyday moments? How do we let these moments captivate us and inform how we visually communicate with others?   

Opening to “This-ness”

After gathering a month’s worth of potential images, I review and discuss them with co-curator Leslye Colvin. Which photo for which week and why? What does the image say to us about the week’s theme? The richness of our discussions, informed by our identities and life experiences, never fails to broaden my perspective. The essence of our conversations contributes to each “Image Inspiration” at the end of each meditation. We hope those brief sentences help readers understand the “why” behind an image choice. 

Another Way of Knowing

I’m a dancer and a multimedia artist, so while I love words, I sometimes need another way of knowing to reach my deepest places, and I imagine I’m not alone in this. My brain can become overwhelmed by black and white lines on pages, and I wonder: where is all the color and motion? In this way I let the words of the written meditation wash over me and listen for the visual metaphors that communicate its essence.