Inspired by state fairs

Thomas Birtwistle finds inspiration for his photography at state fairs, as he explained that the "agriculture-related competitions and exhibitions are basically pretty public displays of what are fairly private obsessions."

This has intrigued him so much that he has focused his work on photographs of state fairs in Maine. Other than focusing on fairs, his work ranges from "garish stuffed animal prizes, concession stands, to Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein cans riddled with bullet holes, " according to the Concord Art Association.

Birtwistle's latest work is being displayed at the Concord Art Association as part of the Seeing is Believing exhibit.

The exhibit "features nine artists who employ photography as a tool to trace the arc of different realities, memory and the various meanings associated with a sense of time, place or identity," according to a press release from the art association.

Other artists' work being displayed include Andy Freeberg; John Chervinsky; Jim Dow; Cynthia Greig; Pamela Ellis Hawkes; Dave Jordano; Oscar Palacio; and Christopher Sims.

Birtwistle took the opportunity to answer some questions regarding his new exhibit at the Concord Art Association.

Q. According to a press release from the Concord Art Association, your work consists of photographs of state fairs in Maine. What inspired you to focus on state fairs?

A.  I like fairs and there's much to see.  For instance, a lot of the ag related competitions and exhibitions are basically pretty public displays of what are fairly private obsessions.  So you have someone who spends a lot of time and energy on this one thing and the fair ends up being the public venue for that.  It's their chance to put their best foot forward, to shine for the day.  But all their passion and effort are directed through some medium, be it a tomato or a horse.  So I'm interested in that as a kind of process of self-definition and affirmation and as a photographer I'm interested in what it looks like and how it is arranged.

Q. What inspires your work? How long have you been an artist?

A.  I started taking pictures in college, about 25 years ago. It has always been primarily a way to look at and respond to the world around me, an excuse to pay attention to things.

Q.  What picture is your favorite of your work and why?

A.  One thing about showing pictures to other people is you have to be careful about the context.  Lots of times it's easier for someone to make sense of a work if they have a certain amount pre-information, so managing that can be important.  Sometimes though, it's just not reasonable to do so and otherwise interesting work falls by the wayside.   The explanation is cumbersome or there's too much you need to know before you can even find a way into it.  These pictures may not necessarily be the best art but some of them I like and feel a special attachment to, partly because I am their only audience. 

Q. What do you hope audiences take from your work?

A.  In a certain I think it's not really my job to tell people what to think.  I think that if I have done my job well I will have made something that is both somewhat open ended yet internally coherent.  The pictures are made from objects in the world but are also a document of my interaction with that scene.  At best they are a somewhat heightened trip through that landscape and different people will respond to different parts of it. If the whole thing makes some kind of internal sense (or isn't forced) people will often pick things out that never even occurred to me.

Q. What inspired you in your photographs of Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden?

A.  The cans with pictures of Hussein and Bin Laden are targets in a shooting gallery.  If you knock the cans off the back of the shelf you win a prize.  The picture was taken in 2005, which was about the height of their demonization.  We needed enemies (or so the thinking went) and these were the guys.  I was interested that this idea had trickled down so far that shooting a cork gun at their pictures taped to soda cans was an enticement and good for business.  Late in the season after many shots this is what it looked like.

The Seeing is Believing exhibit runs through Aug. 12 at the association, 37 Lexington Road. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 10 to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, contact the gallery at (978) 369-2578 or visit the website at www.concordart.org.