"I create an image which has the potential of an interpretation of what may be going on. For example a man climbing the steps wearily in Grand Central Station may be going home after a tough day, however in reality he has had a good day and may be excited to see his family at home. You can expect to see a narrative in each of the images in the exhibition but it's up to the viewer to interpret what may be going on.
MARK NELSON
My own human story is like everyone else's - full of some joy, some sadness, some days are boring, some are annoying - some days you feel connected and at one with the world, and some days the simplest things can be unsettling....the one very unusual constant is the process of shooting an image. Without fail I have always zoned in to be really alert to movement and shadows, space and even emotion when shooting an image that is good or has potential. Timeless moments which are precious...like a good meditation. Through the idea of emptiness - enough space for the viewer to create their own inner dialogue about what is going on and no two people are the same of course. You as the viewer own that image - and if it connects then it is a gift to yourself. You can 'see' new places.
I deliberately do virtually no research and put my naive self in situations which are surprising and refreshing as new, these places 'appear' - from the early mist of San Gimignano to the twilight of Havana where evening turns into night and the City comes alive...and you are there - on a street corner waiting for the play to unfold. I listen to certain types of music when shooting stills and film...so instead of chatter and banal conversations, car horns and general noise I hear the score that we have created for the film as we shoot it live. This adds a texture and emotion to the scene. You are in another world you are creating in the moment, scenes which could take the finished film somewhere unplanned, somewhere exciting. You are in a dream."
Mark Nelson