Gary Cialdella: Artist Statement, Exclusively Black and White

As a photographer of social landscapes my process begins with a personal connection to subject matter and the history of the place I am photographing. Once I have found the things and place I want to photograph my concern is to create meaningful expressions of form and content. I define a successful photograph as one that embodies this balance of form and content. My work takes place in a variety of locales, mostly in the American Midwest. I find subjects in rural as well as urban and industrial setting. I am directed by my interest in the social fabric of America as it is manifested on the contemporary landscape, where the pattern of history is visible. The places I find ideal to photograph are those where history is layered from the affects time and social change.