“Whenever we touch nature we get clean. People who have got dirty through too much civilization take a walk in the woods, or a bath in the sea. They shake off the fetters and allow nature to touch them. It can be done within or without. Entering the unconscious, entering yourself through dreams, is touching nature from the inside and this is the same thing, things are put right again.”

C.G. Jung

Nature – Being – Art

	Photography: At the Water's Edge InterTidal Calendar

The Fine Art Photographs of Jamie McHugh

I am a photographer of nature’s body. This has been my personal meditation for 35 years. Only in the past two years have I felt compelled to bring my work out into the public eye. In that time, I have been commissioned to create large-format images for a motel in Big Sur, and have exhibited in numerous shows throughout California. I am working on getting my images, with their calming movement and stillness, into hospitals and other healing environments to support bodies in distress.

I am intrigued by the creativity of biology, and how we can aesthetically explore our inner and outer nature. My classes in Somatic Expression are designed to reveal life evolving within the human body. Similarly, my photographs are designed to reveal life unfolding outside of our own skin. The way I photograph in nature is similar to how I somatically explore the body: focusing attention, feeling inner movement, exploring different angles and discovering something new. My art and my life are driven by the quest for new experiences and unique perceptions. Both body and nature are complex, intelligent landscapes that require time and patience to understand. I have to unplug my modern brain, and drop down into body/earth time, to access their wisdom.

I spend a lot of time at the water’s edge, transfixed by the dynamic balance of movement and stillness. The somatic tools of breath, sound, movement and stillness soften the boundary between my body and the environment, bringing me more fully into the present moment. It is like being in a dream state while fully awake. By getting out of my head, connecting to my surroundings, and participating so intimately with the wildness of nature, I have a sense of coming home again, back to my roots as a human being on a mysterious and magnificent planet. It is this intimate exchange that I want my images to convey, and for people to experience with their bodies.

Consult Calendar for current and upcoming exhibits.

The photographs are Fuji "C" archival prints. I then mount them on aluminum with a UV-protective luster lacquer and a recessed back frame.

You can purchase the print separately, or mounted on museum board, if you wish to frame it yourself.

The limited edition archival prints are available in 16x20, 20x30, 30x40 and 30x48 formats.

Please inquire to Jamie@somaticexpression.com about pricing.

Jamie McHugh