Finding The Square Root, 144 Days
Finding The Square Root, 144 Days, 2021
The work began with WJP returning to the same location at the beach over 144 days. The place remained constant, but no two photographs were the same. Changes in light, atmosphere, and attention made each encounter distinct.
WJP manipulated and blurred the photographs until they became records of duration as much as place. The title gives the series its structure: the square root of 144 is twelve. The 144 photographs are organized into twelve final works. Each work combines twelve consecutive days of photographs before the next twelve-day sequence begins. Repetition becomes a form of attention: the more faithfully WJP returns, the more clearly change reveals itself. Arranged from pale light into darkness, the series compresses passing time into a visual passage. The blur reflects how easily life can move beyond our notice. The work asks us to slow down and recognize beauty as something continually changing, visible only when we are paying attention.