Ed Kashi put out a book a few years back where he picked three images to put together. These three images could've been taken at different times and different places throughout his career. That was a very interesting notion to show similarities and differences over years of working. Last year when my friend Craig came to visit he was making these photos with his cell phone and he mentioned--'gotta have three'---which meant he thought of these cell phone sessions as needing three pictures to complete it. I think about this a lot. The idea of the triptych has been around for ages--why? Is there something special in the relationship of three. Father, son and holy ghost. Earth, wind and fire. Three seems to hold a power. I've often thought of my work as two pictures or more. I love to explore more than just the one aspect of a story(though one single great moment is also very powerful!) I made these three records of faces today--one was myself shot in the wee hours of morning before going to sleep as I was testing out a new film and lens combo on my iphone, the middle one was a mask that caught my eye at Maplewood high school as I was heading to photograph volleyball and the drawing of Dylan was done mostly by my friend Jim who didn't like it and gave to me to try to make something different out of it--which I did a little tonight before coming home. I felt these three separate sketches seemed to be begging to be put together... so I did. I was thinking about other threes as well as I think Craig is right...'gotta have three!' Its at least a good goal! Photographs by Richard Sayer
Odd numbers work in floral arrangements too!! 5 works well for me most of the time. So I understand the 3 you refer to. Love you, have a great weekend.