Sharing patron perspectives

TimeLine’s current production of Concerning Strange Devices from the Distant West explores the role of photography in our experience of life, especially in relation to other cultures and through time. So we invited our patrons to share with us not only the photos they take while attending the show, but also photography that made a significant impact on them in terms of their experience of life.

For more information and to get involved by sharing your own perspective, please visit our resources page, found within the Concerning Strange Devices section of TimeLine’s website.

Today, we’d like to share with you three submissions from patrons that caught our eye and sparked our imagination:

The first is from dedicated TimeLine supporters, John and Dawn Palmer. John was stationed in Japan in 1958 and captured a religious festival near Tokyo “using two Miranda SLRs, one with a 135mm lens for close-ups.” Do John’s photos remind you of any of the images discussed or shown in the play? Do you think they disprove or further elaborate on the themes of the show—themes of perception, authenticity and identity?

The second was shot by Larry Hart and was passed on to us by Mary Shen Barnidge.

They are photos of the contemporary era and capture mundane events, but were taken using a stereoptic camera for a wider picture that, Mary writes, was “very popular for recording travel in the 19th century” and, therefore, “gives the … photographs their Victorian look.” How does combining a 19th century technique with a 21st century subject affect your experience of the photograph? Does looking at the photo create any cognitive dissonance?

Finally, Larry Hart sent us this striking image, a photo illustration combining images across time. What story does this image tell?

Let us know what these photos got you thinking about by leaving a comment!