His latest book is the fine art photography book, Encounters.
Visit his website at www.patrickstull.com.
With photography at its base,
Stull offers a nuanced explication of his encounters to allow the viewer
an opportunity to form a relationship with
his art. While
looking within ourselves, exploring our own feelings, he hopes that he will inspire greater
humaneness in response
to his art.
Compiled over
the last 18 years, the images in ENCOUNTERS, Stull
says, are meant
to “inspire and challenge the observer while always empowering the subject.”
Stull brings
a powerful sense
of the surreal and the spiritual to his work
as he plots a course
along the many paths
of the human experience. His imagery runs
from the ghostly
and ephemeral to the flowing and fiery.
As much as he concentrates on the human
form, Stull never
forgets to focus
on the humanity
of his subjects. His
choice of the coffee-table style
book format draws
the viewer into
an experience both
intimate and universal.
Stull’s first
book in his series, titled
EVOLVE, was published in 2006. A third book,
titled HIDDEN DIMENSIONS, is completed and awaiting publication. Future titles
in the series
include DHARMA, BEING
DIFFERENT, and YOGA, A
HEALING MOMENT.
Stull hopes
that his readers
come away from the book with “a love for art and a respect
for the female
who gives us life
and challenges us to be better human beings.
First, I have to say, this is a huge book! Women seem to play an important
role in your photography. What is it about women that makes your photography
portraying them so unique?
Patrick: Women allow me into their lives in the most intimate, artistic
ways. Then I use light, the camera and other elements to present their bodies
and talents, while sharing their stories.
I haphazardly fell into
photographing women, working with them and explicating their lives and bodies
with the camera. Photographers dedicate their lives to many different areas of
interest. I have spent almost two decades working with women, in all stages of
life and in many circumstances. Women are the most amazing and fascinating
subjects. They inspire me to continue my work. If they trust you, they allow
you to enter their worlds of fashion, their moments of creating new life, their
pain of being raped, the challenges of being a female dancer or performer and
the misogyny to which they are subjected.
Of all your photography, what would you say is your very favorite?
Patrick: This is a challenging
question. It’s like asking me to choose between my children.
My portrait work is the most
exciting thing for me to create. A portrait is more intimate than photographing
any other part of the body. Portraits allow me the privilege to peer into a
woman’s soul. She exposes herself in a way that’s most intense. The face, the
eyes, skin and hair tell all. If I had to choose the one image that has
penetrated my artistic being, it would be the family portrait of three females,
together. The image is a side perspective of mother, daughter and
granddaughter.
The power of the image is that
of presenting the passage of time, allowing one to connect to the process of
life. The viewer journeys from youth to the aging matriarch. Everyone that views
the image has different reactions. Some see it as confrontational, others love
its power as I do. No matter what, the image penetrates my being and has a
disruptive humanistic message that connects me to women, my nature and my
ultimate purpose, that of discovery.
And what a stunning cover. Why did you choose this particular photo?
Patrick: The cover of a book is one of the most difficult things to decide
upon. I think I had at least ten of them during the process. I wanted something
that was mysterious like a woman’s personality.
Have you always had an eye for beauty through the lens of a camera?
Patrick: I think I was born
with an interest in visual composition. My relationship to the camera began in
my late teens. As long as I can remember, I was fascinated and intrigued by its
magic and power. Needless to say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” That
said, my focus is to present something captivating and it is up to the audience
to determine “beauty”.
What message are you trying to convey with your photography that you hope
people will ‘get’?
Patrick: I would like the
viewers to reflect on their humanity, the power of art and a woman’s
uniqueness. Photography stops time, unveils our natures and most of all offers
a voyeuristic relationship to the world. Encounters, as with any art, is about
the viewer. It is what they bring to the viewing experience as their eye’s
transverse the images. The reality and power of the images, hinge on how
emotionally they impact the viewer’s psyche. My wish is that the viewer
acquires a deeper appreciation and respect for their own humanity, their bodies
and this amazing creature we call female.
Is there anything you’d like to tell your readers and fans?
I created Encounters to share
my love of photography, the written word and the female form. The book is a
labor of love – a letter to all from which I hope to inspire motivation toward
a greater sense of our humanity – in thought and in our daily actions toward
one and other. With the greatest respect, please enjoy.