Artist Statement

A judge is required to be neutral and impartial; a person whose observations and decisions must be made in a detached, thoughtful, and measured manner. When I retired from the judiciary, I embraced the chance to express my own thoughts and feelings. I make pictures that reflect my internal response to what is happening in my life—most recently, an exploration of what is beyond everyday experience. My photographs are an attempt to hold what cannot be held, time and memory.

I use light and shadow to map an emotional space of unquiet stillness. Ordinary moments are imbued with a sense of mystery, intimacy, longing and loss. The feelings within this space are not easily labeled. Indeed, to name them is to put them away, allowing them to dissipate. They are simply to be experienced.

Artist Bio

Larry Smukler is a New Hampshire based artist who received his MFA from Maine Media College after he retired from the judiciary. Smukler’s initial work was in the street, but in response to his wish to be less of an observer, he turned to the internal. His exhibition, Immediate Whole, was recognized for evoking feelings of loss, longing and the passing of time. Smukler’s photographs transform ordinary moments into expressions of mystery.

Named as a finalist in the LensCulture Exposure award, Smukler’s work has been exhibited at the Ten by Ten exhibition at the FotoFest Biennial, the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Center for Photographic Art, Cove Street Arts, the Maine Media Gallery, the A Smith Gallery, the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery and online at the PhotoPlace Gallery. Smukler’s work has also been featured in several publications, including Malde and Ware’s Platinotype, Pictura Galley’s Curious Photo Blog, FLOAT Magazine, and the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts Antidote.