honorable mention
Dave Puchalsky united states
title
Crane Dance
Well, I guess the artist that was inside wanted to be outside. Medicine and science are now inside as hobbies, and also inform my artwork.
My visual art has served as an outlet from and a counterweight to my professional life. I had dabbled in cartooning through college and medical training but I’ve turned largely to photography in the last couple of decades. Credit my dog Sparky and his need for nature walks for exposing me to much of my subject matter. We humans and even our artifacts are part of nature, and are among my obsessions.
Like many artists, what I’m feeling and trying to say tends to occur to me after, rather than before, my work. An example: in the past three years, I’ve been obsessed with birds taking off and flying. I suppose I did not need to have medical training to later realize that bird flight has been a vicarious enjoyment of freedom and beauty during this constricted COVID era. Here’s hoping the viewer has a similar enjoyment.
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entry description
On a walk near my home, I experienced two cranes performing a mating ritual in the snow. The birds danced and then mated. There was an egg laid and nurtured by both parents, but unfortunately the egg did not hatch.about the photographer
Before my 2018 retirement, I was “Dr. P”, an academic dermatologist and trained internist at the University of Wisconsin. I practiced my saxophone over lunchtime, performed at some department parties, and took a few “creative” photos. My time was dedicated to diagnosing and treating skin disease and skin cancer, plus teaching young doctors to have this same mission. You might ask; “Why did Dr. P suddenly stop all doctoring”?Well, I guess the artist that was inside wanted to be outside. Medicine and science are now inside as hobbies, and also inform my artwork.
My visual art has served as an outlet from and a counterweight to my professional life. I had dabbled in cartooning through college and medical training but I’ve turned largely to photography in the last couple of decades. Credit my dog Sparky and his need for nature walks for exposing me to much of my subject matter. We humans and even our artifacts are part of nature, and are among my obsessions.
Like many artists, what I’m feeling and trying to say tends to occur to me after, rather than before, my work. An example: in the past three years, I’ve been obsessed with birds taking off and flying. I suppose I did not need to have medical training to later realize that bird flight has been a vicarious enjoyment of freedom and beauty during this constricted COVID era. Here’s hoping the viewer has a similar enjoyment.
back to gallery