DeCordova Collects Photographs: Recent Acquisitions
B.A. King
"I think of the world as a great box full of fascinating materials," writes Tony King, "and of life as the business of snatching bites and pieces from the box...." King takes a humanistic approach to photography, capturing the comfort of ordinary objects and every day places with a warm sense of humor. His photographs of animals, people and landscapes in New England have been published as postcards and calendars—King sees postcards as a way of making art affordable as well as encouraging communication, and calendars as his way of coming in contact with people he'll never know. His keen sense for the way light touches the earth reflects his love, respect, and patience for nature. At the age of 10, King picked up photography at a summer camp. While working for a family pipe business in Worcester, he tried his luck as a writer before returning to photography at 28. King credits writing as a preparation for photography, equates words to snapshots. He has published many books as a writer and photographer often under his given name, B.A. King. In Maple Leaf, the leaf, placed upright, centered, and symmetrical, is transformed from its natural role as leaf to a symbolic status. The exquisite detail of the bright red form against a soft background elevates the leaf to an icon.
