At the remote tip of Cape Cod lies a vast terrain of rolling sand dunes, scrub oak and pine, bogs and marshes. I chose a square format, the simplest possible shape – in each picture I split the frame into two equal parts, placing the horizon in the center of the frame, thus forming a perfect symmetry. The color palette of each image was limited, and often very subtle – the color of sand, and washed out blues and grays; or oranges, reds and purples at the rising and setting of the sun. I was not interested in recording the precise details of my subject matter. Instead, I was looking to distill my life and my photography down to their essence.
Alison Shaw has called Martha’s Vineyard home since moving there after graduating from Smith College in 1975. She spent her first 25 years on the island working for the Vineyard Gazette, where she was a 4-time recipient of New England Press Association’s “Photographer of the Year” award. She also served as Production Manager and Director of Graphics and Design for the Gazette, and Art Director of Martha’s Vineyard Magazine, striking out on her own in 2000. Throughout her career, the Vineyard has provided the primary inspiration for her fine art and editorial photography.
Alison has published twenty books, thousands of her fine art photos are in public and private collections, she is regularly published in major magazines, and she teaches photography workshops worldwide.
The Alison Shaw Gallery, which Alison owns and runs with her partner Sue Dawson, is located in an old single-engine firehouse in the heart of the Arts District in Oak Bluffs. Sue and Alison also offer a photography mentorship program that they teach together.
