There's something about working on this series that brings to mind my experiences with nonviolent dialogue.

I've now mounted two solitary vigils for peace in front of the White House and the U.S. House and Senate Offices Buildings in Washington, DC. One was for nineteen days, and the other for six. In one case I carried a sign that clearly expressed my opinions about a current war, and in the other, about a possible war. I am a pacifist so it's not too hard to guess what my signs might have said. When you put yourself out there by yourself like that, you have to be ready to deal with all kinds of responses. I've been called a moron and worse. I've also been called a saint, so you can't take these things to heart. But one thing I learned and that was to listen. Not just keep quiet, but really listen. Even when people were hostile. Especially then. Not that I'd stand for abuse, but I would listen to rants as long as they didn't get personal. And in every case, if I listened hard enough I could always find a place where we could meet, something upon which we could agree. That is the starting place for dialogue, your likenesses rather than your differences.

This dualities project is like that. If I look closely enough and keep an open mind I can often find commonalities in photos of the most disparate subjects and situations. When I find even the smallest thing in common, it can lead my eye to seeing even more similarities. That's where we meet, but what happens next can't be predicted. For each of us will go our own directions with it depending on our life experiences.

It may seem strange to read so much into a simple series of photographs, but that's the way of art. It has tremendous power to change attitudes and perceptions. May my work change things for the better.

I've just added this and another new image to my Dualities gallery. CLICK HERE to see them.