The Resilience of Richard Shenk

To anyone unaware of the photographer Richard L. Shenk (my dad), this picture is perfectly mundane. A man holding a camera.  

To his family and friends, it is a miraculous and triumphant event. Fifty-five weeks ago, Dad was in a catastrophic plane crash. His injuries were horrific, and he was not expected to live. He struggled in the hospital for more than a year.

Last week he came home. His life will never be as it was, but we're all hoping he can find his old creative spark. Today, we drove to his office/darkroom in Basalt, Colorado, cranked up some Springsteen ('75), and dusted off one of his Hasselblads for a short photo session. An artist returning to his art. 

We also spent a few hours looking over his photographs for his upcoming photographic show in Aspen. Yes, he's my Dad, so I'm partial as hell. But to me, his work has all the elements of great art: it is visually arresting, emotionally provocative, and forces the viewer to see and be curious about the world in a new way.  

Just a few favorites:

I'm also partial to my Dad's work because he taught me how to be creative, how to think differently, how to pursue a vision, how to relentlessly hone your craft. 

How to never give up.

Comments

[Deb, Amy, and Jamie]

R.L.S.,

I just read the the most wonderful wonderful news on David's site. God has truly blessed you, your family and your friends with your recovered health. I know you will also recover your "Different Way of Seeing" ability and move forward to create ----- again.