Early on May 3 I filmed a couple hours of pre-dawn light to be submitted to the Dawn Chorus film project. I’m including a clip and my “Artist Statement.” (I’ve never written an artist statement before and am not really sure what goes into them, so I just wrote what I wrote.)
I am a rank amateur. That’s not self-deprecation. It is just what is. I can point out many things I’m disappointed about with the video/audio I captured/created that morning. But, I did it, and that’s better than not doing it. Whether any of it finds it’s way into the final project is not my worry.
Uncertainty and praise
Driving to my shooting location I witnessed an enormous red moon setting in the west. There wasn’t enough time for me to stop, get out my camera, and capture a few pics, and not everything beautiful needs to be frozen in my camera. After an earlier forecast of heavy cloud-cover I was welcomed to a view of more stars than I’d seen for decades.
I made my way in the dark to a location I had identified, however, in this deep darkness I couldn’t be certain I was in the right spot, and when I set up my camera, I couldn’t be certain I was pointing it exactly where I wanted. And as the light grew, I was uncertain I was properly managing the camera settings. These were just a few more minor pieces of uncertainty that characterize our days.
I am fortunate to work at The Hermitage, a retreat center in rural southern Michigan with the nearest town about 8 miles away. My shooting location was from a rise in the land at GilChrist, our neighboring retreat center overlooking Hermitage land. I was aware as I was standing and marveling at the visual and audio beauty of the early morning hours, monks at the Benedictine Abbey down the road were gathering to pray Matins and Lauds – two services of morning prayer. It was a gift to bear witness to the frogs, ducks, trees, and stars joining the dawn chorus of monks in their songs of praise.
Uncertainty and praise; these were my experiences of filming the dawn, and have been my experiences during this pandemic. Uncertainty about safety, income, leadership, yet praise at the inevitable signs of life and beauty that spring brings.
Kevin Driedger
Three Rivers, Michigan
May 3, 2020
