Poet Jeffery Beam
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From reviews of Light and Shadow: The Photographs of Claire Yaffa featuring poems by Jeffery Beam, introduction by Gordon Parks), Aperture

Light and Shadow is a personal meditation by Claire Yaffa on the subtleties of photographic vision. In this monograph, Yaffa, an artist previously known for her documentary work on child abuse, homelessness, and children with AIDS, bridges the gap between the seemingly disparate territories of photojournalism and artistic statement. The connective tissue linking the abstractions presented in this volume and her previous work are similar themes of the fragility of life and perception. Details such as the trace of stippled light on an obscured nude torso or the finely etched veins of a palm frond lead both photographer and viewer to consider the fluctuating boundaries between darkness and epiphany. Jeffery Beam's clear, imagistic poems are woven throughout these pages, likewise drawing inspiration from botanical forms and allowing for moments of rich contemplation. Gordon Parks, in his introduction to Claire Yaffa's work, praises the artist for her ability to explore the ineffable worlds of shadow and light that challenge photographer and painter alike.
—Gregory Popovitch, Photo Bin

Light and Shadow is a celebration of life and its fragility," says Yaffa. "These photographs were a gift and they existed for just a moment. Then they were gone. I saw them and many times I said, 'Oh, my God..." The images, abstractions of flower stems and parts of the figure as well as landscapes, are defined by light and shadow and have been selected by the Camera Obscura Gallery in Colorado for Yaffa's second exhibition at the gallery. With a beautiful foreword by Gordon Parks and poetry by Jeffery Beam, the imagery contains none of Yaffa's photojournalistic work, but portrays rather her closeness to nature and to life with its abstractions, poignancy, and poetry. Photographer Duane Michals wrote on the jacket of the book, "Claire has evolved toward one of the great timeless photographic traditions, the study of form, light, and their sensual interplay—the most profound ingredients of all photography."
—Rosalind Smith, Shutterbug (February, 1999)

Featured by Associated Press in article on Holiday 1998 gift ideas.

Email: jeffbeam@email.unc.edu
URL: http://www.unc.edu/~jeffbeam/reviews_light.html
Last updated: August 20, 2008