“Witness” to a Parisian party
Jason Maynard’s debut as an exhibiting photographer is a walk down memory lane.
“‘Witness’ and ‘Diamonds’ are two snapshots of the Eiffel Tower taken at sunset on Bastille Day in Paris in 2007,” he says. “I was visiting Paris as part of a music study trip and was craving experiences that would feed my musical soul and inspire my spirit. On this evening, I was transported to another world as I stood among a crowd of 600,000 people on the mall of the Eiffel Tower, all watching together the setting sun and eagerly anticipating the celebratory fireworks that were to follow.
Jason Maynard’s “Witness”
“‘Witness’ identifies myself as observer and is meant to express my feelings of being at once in belief and disbelief in the presence of this event,” he adds. “The experience was one that was ultra-sensory and almost out-of-body, as I stood in that park among a multitude of other witnesses, captivated by the image of the Eiffel Tower decorated in a backdrop of fireworks - accompanied by the sounds of stirring music and a spirit of ‘joie de vivre.’ The title’s meaning is meant to go beyond even this, though, and describe the almost inexplicable need to recount such an event to others.
“Diamonds”
“‘Diamonds’ takes place during a lengthy series of fireworks which were accompanied by a medley of music from well-known movies. During one particular song, in the fading light of dusk, the lights on the tower begin to shimmer, and the fireworks all turn to white - with the song, ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,’ playing from the film, ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.’”
These two pieces are offered at $150 each, or $275 for the pair.