Grace by Scott Offen

Some people, it seems, are destined to find each other, to love each other and to stay with each other.

In this beautifully designed and printed book, photographer Scott Offen collaborates with his life partner of forty years - the Grace of the title - to create a poetic and almost balletic visual dialogue that whilst eschewing any attempts at any formal sense of narrative, effortlessly succeeds in communicating the trust, symbiosis and love that exists between them.

Between the covers that both define and bookend Grace, is a collaborative sequence that suggests a  dissection of self, and an examination of the passing of time, as perceived through Offen's lens and the choreography of Grace herself.

In adopting this methodology, what we are presented with is far from simply being an artful and  elegant collection of pictures featuring an artist’s muse. Indeed, Grace effortlessly positions itself in a stylistic genre that lies somewhere between landscape, portrait, and cinematic novella.

There is a quiet stillness throughout and Offen's spectacular monochrome photography elegantly softens mood and gently requires us to redefine the concept of solitude.

In reflecting and observing, he shows us that it is easy to see that whilst time may be passing, the joys that life - and living - deliver, are constant and unchanging.

How we evolve to perceive and react to them however...

The portraits and figurative studies allow for duplicitous interpretations, an air of melancholy noir, counterpointed by a child's unceasing quest for enjoyment and discovery.

Racing through woodlands.

An escape or an imaginary game of hide and seek.

Standing alone in a field, arms outstretched.

Dressed for the cold in a hooded coat and mittens.

A scarecrow in training or an invitation to the elements.

An acknowledgement born of experience, that weather in all its manifestations is a validation of life.

In amongst the playful moments nestle those of reflection. Sitting on the edge of a bed and gazing out of a window, there appears to be a twinge of sadness and an acceptance that just as seasons pass outside, somewhere stage left  and out of sight a clock incessantly ticks.

Standing at a pantry work table, cook books spread out before her. The trappings of a grown up playground surround. 

Light is her friend. Streaming from a window, both bathing Grace and simultaneously knitting a warm shadow blanket around her.

One of the most simple yet intimate moments.

Curled in bed, Grace’s feet dangle over its edge.

Tiny cracks in the heels and toes, imperfections visible.

A life’s roadmap and a lover’s detail.

Grace is a gentle dialogue, the result of trust and time. 

At a point in human history where a relationship is often measured in unattainable checklists and cowardly texts, here we have the hard won  reality and rewards of a life together. 

The pleasure of knowing a person so completely,

The  bounty of years holding hands on life’s rollercoaster. 

The realisation that imperfections are what make a soul mate perfect .

In what is possibly the book’s most formal portrait, Grace’s face fills the frame as she peers - Alice like - into her own rabbit hole.

Maybe the little bottle is visible and the temptation is there, but some questions are best unanswered and others don’t even need asking.

Grace is published by L’Artiere Editions in an edition of 750 copies.