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Chris Walters Photography

From Whence We Came

In From Whence We Came, a solo exhibition at Alfred State College's HInkle Memorial Library Gallery, I draw my primary inspiration from John F. Kennedy, Jr’s speech before the 1962 America’s Cup in Newport, RI:

“I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came.”

The son of a Coast Guardsman, the water has always been in my life and exists heavily in themes in my photography and writing. From the ever changing meanderings of the Chemung River to the salt marsh fed waters of the Savannah Low Country to the glacial echoes of an age long since passed to the languid surf of the Pacific Ocean, this exhibition seeks to highlight the diversity of waters that have called to me and continue to do so into the present day.

In these waters I find solace in their ever welcoming arms, a calming of the soul. I hope the viewer can also bask in these waters, to become aware of the beauty that flows through them, and that they too will seek a return from whence they came.

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Low TideOn the borderlands of Wilmington Island, billowing storm clouds rise above the endless salt marshes and tributaries of the Savannah Low Country. My birthplace, it will always be home, always there to draw me into its welcoming arms. Just as the tides ebb and flow, and the waters return to the sea from which they come, so too do I return back to the Low County, back to my home where Turner Creek runs towards the Bull River, and beyond that, into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Ever FlowingAbove the American side of Niagara Falls, the namesake river roars blue and white under the diffused sky of a recently passed thunderstorm. Across the water the trees of Green Island sway in the still lingering winds. Like the stem of a one way hourglass that never ceases movement from one bulb to the other, the waters are funneled between the great lakes of Erie and Ontario. The Niagara River bursts through the gaps carved between the islands that frame the American side.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

Down Came the WatersOn the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, no waterfall stands quite as iconic as Horseshoe Falls. A beautiful, spring day, the waters rage with a force nearly of such unimaginable fury. Through a long exposure scene the waters reveal their true nature. The entire blue spectrum comes to light as the waters become part of an intricate ballet, a serene dance with their partner, the smoothened riverbed. Ushered into the mists below, the waters prepare for their next act as they flow back towards the sea.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

The PacificAfter the hustle and chase of the Golden Gate bridge and the roads that wind through the Marin Highlands and into the heart of San Francisco, the quietly lapping shoreline of the Presidio offers a calming solace unthinkable just a few moments before. The slowly descending sun casts a warm hue upon the distant hills that stand gatekeeper to the great Pacific waters beyond. And here along Baker beach, the waves roll in one after the other, the endless heartbeat of waters everywhere.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

A StreamOn an early fall day, just as the leaves are beginning to shed their skins for the vibrant colors to come, a stream runs down from the waters of Chittenango Falls State Park. Over small boulders and rocks smoothed for millennia, the stream cuts a path that is both powerful and graceful. Above the falls are crashing and roaring, but here, away from the turbulent waters and pools below the waterfall, the stream has a serene quality as it continues uninterrupted for other waters to come.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

JukulsarlonWe drive all day in search of the blue ice lagoon of Jokulsarlon. Coming from the Icelandic capital of Rejkivak, windstorms and blinding snow drifts often bring our pace to a crawl across this otherworld, lunar-esque landscape. We make quick stops at black sand beaches and ethereal waterfalls. Other times it is the hunger of my 7 month old daughter that brings our van to a standstill. But, just as the sun begins to disappear and right before another squall appears along the horizon, the blue ice appears like a beacon in the night.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

Tybee IslandAmong the tides in the world, there is none that holds such a place in my heart as the tides that bathe the sands of Tybee Island. A low lying barrier of sand and memories, an ever so slight film of water covers the rippled earth as the setting sun glows through the clouds. Come high tide the moon will push the ocean waters past this point and most all the beach will be submerged below the murky depths. Until then, sand dunes in microscopic miniature bask in the glory of another Low Country sunset.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

I Dreamed of WatersIn the harbor along the shore of Watkins Glen, sailboats reflect back a world so similar, yet foreign to our own. Upside down and inside out, they drift in a dreamlike state. Masts reach up towards algae covered rocks seemingly piled high atop puffy, white clouds. Hulls sway gently not upon the still, blue waters but rather in a clear, blue sky. The waters ripple like a light breeze spreading through the air. And finally, the colors merge together into an altered reality where life seeps away to a dreamlike state.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

The FjordAlong the stunning Naeroyfjord of southern Norway, the shoreline and mountains slowly awaken to the approaching Spring. Some thousands of feet deep and equally as tall, the land is as much defined by water as is our own Finger Lakes and one too that is tied to the remnants of a glacial age. Though frigid air still fills the winds as we make our way up the fjord, the warmth of the sun and the newly green grass tells a story of another winter survived. We eagerly await what comes around the next bend.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

The Blue HourAs the sun sets and the lights turn on, the blue hour settles in over the tranquil waters of Bergen. The high latitudes and close proximity to the Arctic hold off the darkness as the blue hour lingers forever in the magical world that exists between day and night. Illuminated by the surrounding streets and wharfs, the famed architecture and row houses of Norway's waterfront realm line up at perfect attention, eager for the aesthetic inspection that arrives each evening.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

MohonkHigh upon the Shawangunk Ridge, the cliffs and walls of Mohonk Mountain House, and the soaring clouds above it, reflect back upon the calm waters of Mohonk Lake. The mirrored scene brings together the past and present as they merge into one being. The sky and waters together again, the carved rock above back again with the submerged rock from which it came, the trees connected with their ancient roots, and finally, the ghosts of guests past together once more with the hotel rooms they once held so dear.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

SummerA draught has rendered the Chemung river and many of its feeder tributaries calmer than any can remember. The faucet turned off, the waters are at a virtual stand still and become a mirror to the skies above Corning, NY. Rocks unseen for decades show their face. A summer storm has recently cleared out, a few lingering clouds leftover to trail the sky. The setting sun dips below the clouds and casts a beautiful reflection upon the still waters. The golden hour is illuminated by a symphony of colors.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

Sailboat DreamsIn this harbor that serves entryway into the glacial echoes of an age since passed, sailboats begin to emerge from their long, winter hibernation. A closer look reveals masts moving alongside the high winds that push the clouds across the sky. Existing in both stasis and movement, the scene is caught in that strange land between the changing seasons. But like the return of an old friend, the boats welcome us in, reminding us that they will soon awaken from their dreams to share in us their wonders.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

In the GlenLike alchemists of old, the crafters and diggers who forged the bridges, staircases, and pathways through the gorges of Watkins Glen State Park have created a world that exists just on the cusp of some Escherian dream. Lying at a convergence of nature and humankind, the waters cascade downward in a series of waterfalls and gullies. As sunlight filters upon the green leaved trees above, people climb ever so sacredly upon the staircases of this earthbound church.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

Dog DaysThe sun's mid day light shines down upon the ruins of an old power station and the waters that trickle past it. Hidden beneath the hills of Ithaca, Wells Falls waits to be fully reclaimed by nature. Out of view, and further down river, sunbathers lounge on large rocks jutting out from the shore. And closer to the falls, some seek to investigate the falls closer, others read in quite reflection, while others yet ready for another climb and jump into the pool that has been carved out over the eons.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

Eagle Cliff FallsOur region hosts no shortage of waterfalls with more than two hundred dotting our land. And most all are part of the local and state park system. In Havana Glen State Park, Eagle Cliff Falls is a perfect example of the fore thinking that built this system. Existing at an intersection where people and nature coexist in mutual benefit, the trail built through the gorges of this waterfall fed canyon represents the very best of this ideal - the enduring mergence of a sacred place that is carved out for generations to come.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

TaughannockHeavy rains of November surprise as they cause the waters of Taughannock Falls to barrage downstream. The final burnt colors of Fall are darkened beneath the veil of an overcast day. A mist rises up from the riverbed below. The canyon above, once extending to the shores of Cayuga Lake, continues to recede against the raging waters. But, above, it is quiet and serene as a light rain dampens the umbrella of a onlooker peering out from the overlook.

Chris Walters From Whence We Came Solo Exhibition Alfred State College Upstate NY

Above & BelowClouds burst through the skies above Corning, NY. They soar past the restored Centerway Bridge like lightening fueled finger tips acting to tear away from a singularity located deep in over the horizon. Below the bridge, the Chemung River is finally freed from the frozen constraints of winter. Part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the waters continue their journey downriver, merging with other rivers and tributaries as they head towards the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

© Chris Walters Photography