C&T Publications 50 States of Art - 2015 | Page 90

Britt Runyon – New Mexico A New Mexico based free roaming outdoor digital photographer, always on the qui vive for what Nature and humans provide. The artist's question: If photography is an art, are there rules? Art is the use of skill and imagination in the creation of objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others. Now that's a game I can play. My work is rooted in my experience in nature. As an outdoor enthusiast, PADI Dive Instructor, Adventure Motorcycle Rider and whitewater raft guide, I have found myself in some amazing places. Having a camera in hand was perhaps the only way "they" would believe me. I utilize digital processing to enhance what is already there. Striving to find a balance between the physical and its essence. The natural wonder that I feel in the outdoors reminds me of my childhood musings, where my sense of adventure was free from erroneous limitations, where there were no rules. It is this sense of freedom and play that I share via my photographs. Website: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/britt-runyon.html Here is my piece. It is called Gorge Bridge Zia Symbol. One of America's highest and most famous bridges, the route 64 crossing of the Rio Grande near Taos, New Mexico was completed in 1965. A well proportioned cantilever truss with an attractive, curvilinear profile, the bridge received the American Institute of Steel Construction's award for the Most Beautiful Long Span Steel Bridge of 1966. In 1997 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the seventh highest bridge in the United States. The Zia symbol, a circle with groups of rays pointing in four directions, is painted on ceremonial vases, appears all around the state and is featured on the New Mexico state flag. Four is a sacred number of the Zia Pueblo, and can be found repeated in the points radiating from the circle. The number four is embodied in: The compass (north, south, east, and west) The seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn and winter) The periods of each day (morning, noon, evening and night) The stages of life (childhood, youth, middle years and elderhood) The sacred aspects one must develop (a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the well-being of others) 85