Wo'tééneihí: Aaron by Tom Clark & Gordon Nebeker

Although I grew up playing video games, most of my playing mostly took place at the Mall’s arcade. I think I was in high school before my younger brother received our family’s first game system one Christmas in the early 90’s. I am sort of glad I grew up when imagination based games were still the norm for anyone under 10 years old. In my mind, my back yard and rec room were often transformed into the locations for huge battles of epic proportions.

One of the games that occupied so many hours of make-believe was Cowboys and Indians. The words and terms used to reference Native Americans have changed since I was running and jumping around my yard, but intrigue and folklore connected to the history of the American West remains. It is a world of heroes and legends, great battles and villains all taking place on majestic fields and prairies. Although usually depicted as at odds, there was a nexus between both cowboy and the Indian and that was their connection to the land that surrounded them. The mountains and valley’s the never ending sky, nature’s untouched beauty made up the foundation for their spirit, and an energy source for their soul.

This spirit also acted as the theme for the work of Gordon Nebeker and Tom Clark and their shoot with Aaron. In each of the set of two images displayed here, I attempted to find a similar shot to compare and contrast. In each case, the first image is from Gordon, the second from Tom. What struck me most is not the visual differences as much as the difference in feel. Each masterfully captures both model and the majestic surroundings. There are however, distinctly beautiful differences in how each uses Aaron, and their artistry, to achieve the atmosphere and texture which complete their vision.

'Being part of a shoot with two great photographers was quite a treat. I was honored that they would both collaborate that way with me as the muse. It was fun to see them pick the angles and areas from which to shoot, because they didn't gravitate to the same places. It's pretty rad to observe a difference of perspectives in action, to see different stylistic points of view, neither of which is less or more than the other. They both arise from the source of creativity that shines in us all, and from their shining lights comes an allowance of others to let their light shine. I definitely evolve a bit more every time I work with them. Thank you Gordon and Tom!'

Aaron