JESSIE ALTURA - EXPOSURE EMERGING PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE

I heard a spiritual teacher say that love is the act of paying attention. He said, we often overlook the one thing that is unequivocally persistent and everywhere in our experience— awareness—because it is formless, whereas our egos have been subjugated to seeing form. In explaining the nature of love, he continues that this feeling is the result of recognizing our inherent awareness. This recognition can occur when we take a bite of an apple, surround ourselves in nature, or more profoundly, when we make love. If what he says holds true, is my desire to capture moments then an act of lovemaking?

My work is an exploration of the nature of love. My work tends to be concept-less in its content, focusing only on the tender capture of anything that appears in my awareness. Being present and not having a camera around is where my process begins. I pay attention to my surrounding with hands free and participate in the aliveness of life. I witness the beauty in everything without the eagerness to capture it to respect the impermanence of existence. In cherishing these moments my love for life and my intuition to capture moments becomes apparent. When finally taking photographs, I assume a sense of loving-awareness in order to dissolve the distance between subject and object. 

BIOGRAPHY

My name is Jessie Altura. I am a multidisciplinary artist who has worked with poets, technologists, and painters on various collaborative works. My interest in photographic practices began in high school when I’d scroll through beautiful photographs on Flickr and daydream of one day owning a camera. My practice took off as soon as I got my first realcamera in 2016, and since then I’ve been honing my skills in seeing and witnessing.

I also have a contemplative practice that focuses on the nature of being. Simply put, I think a lot about my place in reality. I suppose I’ve always been a dreamer with a habit of looking up at the stars and thinking about how tiny I am. I still meditate on the cushion, but most of the time off the cushion in order to accommodate life’s busy schedule.