A Moment of Grace
Wind, fire, sunlight, shadow, and rock
For the next month or so, a version of the photograph above, titled “Sedona 14,” is going to be on display at the Upstream Gallery in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. It’s part of an invitational show that the organizers call, “Ordinary and Extraordinary.”
The exhibition deals with the theme of finding the uncommon in otherwise everyday scenes.
I made the photo on September 14, 2019 while flying above Sedona, Arizona.
My wife Elizabeth and I were doing a typical tourist thing that day — an early morning hot air balloon ride over the famous landmarks of the colorful Verde Valley.
It was not an everyday situation, however. In fact, we were unable to fly when we had originally planned.
Dense smoke from the nearby Whiskey Fire, a wildfire to the north being fueled in part by ongoing record heat and drought, was filling up the valley. So much smoke in fact, that our balloon flight had actually been grounded the day before. Even on the morning we flew, there was strong debate about safety and visibility right up until the very moment we lifted off.
Our balloon was the first to rise and we had the unique perspective of looking down upon others.
Our pilot, who had been flying over Sedona for 45 years, said he had never witnessed anything like this scene before.
We were awestruck.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime gift of beauty — something that felt almost holy — grace in a moment of loss and destruction.
Looking down upon those isolated balloons in that expansive landscape, I felt a sense of vulnerability as well. I wasn’t scared for my own life (hot air balloons are truly safe), but from above I could see how exposed humans really are when compared to the forces of the planet. Wind, fire, sunlight, shadow, and rock. At times like that, it’s easy to think that our future is uncertain.
One of the most meaningful comments about these photographs comes from a friend on Instagram who called them “sacred and profane.” In any case, for me they are highly personal, and I’ve been waiting for the right moment to share them.
In conjunction with the show in Hastings-on-Hudson, I’m going to make limited edition prints available of these three photographs.
Each one is 18’x12’ in size, printed with archival ink on high quality fine art paper. They will be limited to an edition of six prints of each, and they will be numbered and signed. $125.00 each, or all 3 for $350.00, including shipping.
Proceeds from sales will be shared with scientific organizations working on significant wildlife conservation and land restoration projects on both sides of the southwestern border.
If you would like to know more, send me an email directly at: joelrhymer@gmail.com.
If you’re anywhere around NYC, please check out the show at the Upstream Gallery in Hastings-on-Hudson during February. It’s a block from the Metro North station.
And, it would be ok for you to share this page with others if you feel that’s appropriate.
Other worldly comes to mind.