Pitney
photos by Olivia Consterdine
music by Clovice A. Lewis, Jr.
Take a walk down Pitney Lane to one of my spiritual homes.
The homonymous jazz piece – composed in 2016 by my cello instructor Clovice
who calls this place home – accompanies your visual stroll.
"Pitney Lane" | Clovice A. Lewis, Jr.
Artist Statement
by Olivia Consterdine
Pitney Lane runs through a small agricultural community in Northern California. Framed by mountains on one side and a lake nearby, the landscape is filled with walnut orchards, old farmhouses, barking dogs, and collapsing fences and barns. Trump 2020 and Tibetan prayer flags are displayed on pre-fab houses that sit side-by-side. To the outsider, this place is a bit paradoxical in its natural beauty, rundown farm equipment, and evidently-mixed political leanings. To me though, Pitney Lane is my spiritual home - where my cello instructor and his wife reside. No matter where I am physically or emotionally, I know I can come back to their house – a safe space surrounded by walnut trees where I can breathe, play music, cook, and discuss the meaning of life with some of my favorite human beings.
This photo series explores this feeling of “home” as created by the place and people. The images move through the removed beauty of Pitney Lane as seen on my walks up and down the road, to more intimate moments inside the home of my friends. To create these images, I used my iPhone SE camera. The wide-angle lens and large depth of field capture many details, creating a documentary-like feel. The smaller camera body/sensor makes the process of capturing images unobtrusive, and lends the photos/process a casual, snapshot-like feel that I strongly associate with the feeling of “home.” Paired with the soundtrack of my cello instructor's "Pitney Lane," this series becomes a visual and aural celebration-exploration of my spiritual home.
more art by Olivia: oliviaconsterdine.com
more music by Clovice.: jazzicalmusic.com
Art120PP Final Project | June 3, 2021 | UCSB
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