I like to be out in the physical world . So this body of work is a perfect example of what I like about photography ; and yes , it is all about serendipity .
STEVE : How many images does it take to make a show ?
SALLY : That ’ s a good question . In this particular body of work , I made a huge amount of photographs because I started very literally and worked through to abstraction , thus abandoning many pictures along the way .
STEVE : What are the chances of getting the conditions that you just described ? That seems impossible .
SALLY : It was . When I went back in February , I went for two weeks and at least half the days there was no wind , so I couldn ’ t do anything . And for the other few days that I had wind , I had cloudy skies and it didn ’ t work . So I had two days out of fourteen that I really shot .
STEVE : So the two days that were your good days , did you get a lot of images those days ?
SALLY : Only a handful !
STEVE : Fourteen days to get a handful of images . Sitting there , you must be in your process .
SALLY : I ’ m totally in my process , it is all about heightened looking . I went back again to Syracuse and Sicily several times over a 2 year period but I also made a few pictures in Cuba . Last spring we wanted to go someplace warm where we had never been before and I thought , I ’ d love to take a few more laundry pictures wherever I go .
STEVE : How were the clothes in Cuba ?
SALLY : They were surprisingly tattered unfortunately . . .. . There are a couple of photos in the show which I shot in Cuba , including one of a perfectly white frilly young girl ’ s communion dress that looks like it ’ s ascending to the heavens .
STEVE : Your work has a strong connection to nature . This body of work is compelling because of its simplicity and your ability to trap nature in a new way ; you physically and metaphorically capture the wind in a series of clouds appearing as laundry . Only now nature has been recolored by cloth and a humble subject becomes a profound expression , especially because you are holding a moment as you described . Are these the connections for you ?
SALLY : I love what you just said . Somebody asked me ,
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