Jones Beach 1979

Editor: Elaine Mayes' photograph, "Jones Beach", captures such a casual, unassuming moment. The light has this very particular, almost hazy quality, and the composition feels so candid. What do you see in this piece, beyond just a day at the beach? Curator: Well, it's funny you say "just a day at the beach," because isn't that sometimes everything? Mayes seems to be catching that fleeting feeling of being present and utterly distracted at the same time. Look at how the mother is captured mid-motion, pulling back her hair. Editor: It's almost as if we are intruding on a private family moment. Curator: Exactly! Mayes wants us to feel that way, I think. It’s a slice of life, a fleeting moment suspended. I am always struck by how the mundane is rendered so beautifully. It seems, somehow, both ordinary and extraordinary, doesn't it? Editor: It really does. I see the picture in a whole new light now. Curator: It's a testament to Mayes' artistry, the ability to elevate an everyday scene into something truly evocative.