At Play 2013

From the Series At Play, April 2013. © Dennis DeHart

Old Growth at DCCP

Old Growth, Archival Editioned Pigment Print, 24x30, 2012, Dennis DeHart



Old Growth will be included in the upcoming exhibition The Family: A Juried Exhibition by Aline Smithson. The show will take place in January at the The Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography. Thanks Aline and DCCP!

Portrait in Pink

 Asher, Idaho, Dennis DeHart, Fall 2011

Sculpture

Grass Sculpture, From the series At Play, Digital Capture, © Dennis DeHart, 2012

The longer I work on the series At Play, the more I feel compelled towards taking a role in the advocacy of nature play in regards to education and childhood development. Recently, the two boys were fighting something awful. After finally getting them out of the house, the struggle continued as they stomped up the trail.  After perhaps a half hour of listening to the two argue, I just sat down. The two boys fussed for a little longer, and then started doing their own activities. It was incredible watching their awareness shift from a presence in their minds, to one in their bodies. Asher climbed a tree, damned a stream, and watched dragonflies. Emmit took reeds of grass, stripped them with his knife, and then tied them into various knots. We did not move from our three separate, though connected spots, for perhaps 30 minutes. On the walk back to the car later, they found a dead mouse. The children stopped, observed, and poked at the corpse. After a close examination, they decided to bury the mouse. The burial included a shallow grave, overlaid with grass, and marked by a simple, slightly carved stick.

Harry Callahan: photographs of his wife and daughter

 © Harry Callahan 

© Harry Callahan

Snake River

Snake River, from the series At Play, Color Photograph, © Dennis DeHart, 2012

Duck Love

Duck Love, Color Photography, © Dennis DeHart, 4.12

Rabbit

Rabbit, Digital Capture, At Play, 3.12, © Dennis DeHart, 2012

Artist Statement (Re-edit, March 31, 2012)

Nietzsche wrote "maturity consists in having found once again the seriousness one has as a child at play." Twenty years after reading this, the quote seems even more apt as I observe and participate with play in my own children's life. The series places the context of nature at the forefront of consciousness, while framing nature play as integral to childhood development and education. Family and community are central to At Play. I draw inspiration from personal and cultural myths, family stories, homes, travels, and the backyard. All the photographs were taken in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) USA.

Dreaming of Llamas. Web Site Update.

I recently updated my website to include some images from my new project At Play. The subtitle for the project, Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness, comes from the Japanese author Kenzoburo Oe.

Dreaming of Llamas, Archival Pigment Print, 20"x24", Edition, Dennis DeHart, ©2011

Nietzsche wrote “maturity consists in having found once again the seriousness one has as a child at play.” His quote has stuck with me for over 20 years. Now that I have children, Nietzsche’s quote feels even more poignant, as I observe and participate with play in my own children’s life. At Play is a celebration of the imaginative world of childhood. The series also places the context of nature at the forefront of consciousness.