'I’d rather go for a walk barefoot in the forest than see the sights in the city.'
Most of us remember spending much of summers barefoot. The feeling of our feet on cool grass, our toes in the hot sand. Walking in the woods with pine needles underneath and the burning after stepping onto pavement or dancing over uncomfortable gravel. We also remember coming inside and having a parent yelling at us not to move until we scrubbed the black and dirt off our feet.
Like most summer memories, most of us have had to push aside the freedom summer used to provide in order to make a living. What was once two months of pure fun and adventures, is now restricted to those few vacation days we are able to take. For me, this sense of freedom is at the heart of why I so love the work of DirtRoad (Warren Russell). Within his imagery, Warren does so many things most of us used to do before we have burdened ourselves with life's demands and expectations. Warren frolics in fields, on rail road tracks, in tree's and in the forest, exploring abandoned buildings and remote areas. Warren does it all without concern, and of course, does it all without clothing.
I was taken with Warren's comment referring to the sights of the city. For me, summer is all about ridding as many signs of cities as we can. I most revert to that childhood summer freedom when away from buildings and cars, when in the woods, by a lake and especially at the ocean. I featured the first set, the rail road series in a piece last month. (Off The Beaten Track) Photographer Gary Larson also sent on these images from his time with Warren and I understand clearly why Gary describes these two shoots as some of his favorite work that he and Warren have done together. Great imagery inspires, and I am inspired to find a field to go barefoot in. I have fields all around me, but most are filled with cows, and therefore cow shit... not something you necessarily want squishing between your toes..
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