Jesse Lenz’s latest photo collection, The Seraphim, invites us into a world where childhood is anything but innocent. Over a span of four years, Lenz documented his six children amidst the backdrop of their rural Ohio farm, painting a vivid picture of the wonder, mystery, and danger that intertwine within the realms of nature.
Gone are the saccharine portrayals of children in idyllic landscapes. Lenz challenges this notion, remarking, “I don’t think about children (or childhood) as innocent.” With six children of his own, he intimately knows the truth behind their mischievous nature. Instead, he sees nature as a place where childhood becomes an exploration of life’s profound cycles: birth, death, and rebirth. It is in nature where children are tested, where they experience the numinous, and where they are mystified.
Lenz’s childhood, as the son of a preacher, was filled with themes of prophecy, angels, demons, sin, and salvation. In The Seraphim, the creatures of the farm take on both ominous and mystical roles. They become not only figures of danger but also hidden companions of fantasy. Through Lenz’s lens, we witness a child locking eyes with an owl, blurring the line between reality and fiction. These photographs capture the essence of liminality, that space between the mythical and the real, the seen and the hidden.
Guided by his desire to transcend the limitations of time and existence, Lenz meticulously selects images that offer glimpses into the transcendent and mysterious. He seeks those profound moments that critique human rationality and encourage us to open ourselves up to the unknown. His work leaves us yearning for that connection with the inexplicable.
The Seraphim concludes with an impression etched in snow, the fleeting nature of childhood and its enchantments. Like the melting snow, childhood slips away all too quickly, leaving only traces of its ephemeral beauty. Lenz’s collection serves as a reminder to savor those fleeting moments of wonder and to always hold onto the transcendent and mystical threads that weave through our lives.
An FAQ based on the main topics and information presented in the article:
1. What is Jesse Lenz’s latest photo collection called?
Jesse Lenz’s latest photo collection is called The Seraphim.
2. What is the theme of The Seraphim?
The Seraphim explores childhood in a different light, challenging the notion of innocence and portraying it as a time of exploration within the realms of nature.
3. How long did it take Lenz to document his children for The Seraphim?
Lenz documented his six children over a span of four years for The Seraphim.
4. How does Lenz view childhood and nature?
Lenz sees childhood as an exploration of life’s profound cycles and nature as a place where children are tested, experience the numinous, and are mystified.
5. What role do the creatures of the farm play in The Seraphim?
The creatures of the farm in The Seraphim take on both ominous and mystical roles, becoming figures of danger as well as hidden companions of fantasy.
6. How does Lenz capture liminality in his photographs?
Through Lenz’s lens, we witness children locking eyes with creatures like owls, blurring the line between reality and fiction. These photographs capture the essence of liminality, the space between the mythical and the real, the seen and the hidden.
7. What does Lenz aim to portray in his selected images?
Lenz aims to portray profound moments that critique human rationality and encourage us to open ourselves up to the unknown and the transcendent.
8. How does The Seraphim conclude?
The Seraphim concludes with an impression etched in snow, symbolizing the fleeting nature of childhood and its enchantments.
9. What is the message behind Lenz’s collection?
Lenz’s collection serves as a reminder to savor the fleeting moments of wonder in childhood and to always hold onto the transcendent and mystical threads that weave through our lives.
Definitions for key terms or jargon:
– Saccharine: overly sweet or sentimental
– Idyllic: extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque
– Numinous: having a spiritual or religious quality that arouses awe and a sense of the transcendent
– Liminality: the quality of being on the threshold or in an intermediate state between two different conditions or realms
– Transcendent: surpassing ordinary limits; beyond the physical or material realm
– Ephemeral: lasting for a short time; fleeting
Suggested related links:
– Jesse Lenz (official website of Jesse Lenz, the photographer)
– National Geographic (a publication known for its stunning photography)