By
Skip Nall
Piece description from the artist
One of twenty-five in a signed Limited Edition produced on Watercolor Smooth Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308, a 100% cotton rag artist's paper. There is a 1/4-inch border for matting. The print is signed on the back and numbered.
This photograph is from my series done in Vietnam the year before my daughter was born. It is a very old, very small Buddhist Monastery in Hoi An.
While out bicycling one day I came across a woman who worked at the hotel where I was staying. She took me to this very special place. If not for my good fortune to come across her I would not have experienced this very special place.
The swastika on the gates is used in Buddhist art and scripture known as a manji (whirlwind), and represents Dharma, universal harmony, and the balance of opposites. It is derived from the Hindu religious swastika, but it is not identical in meaning. The Manji is made up of several elements- a vertical axis representing the joining of heaven and earth, a horizontal axis representing the connection of yin and yang, and the four arms, representing movement- the whirling force created by the interaction of these elements. When facing left, it is the Omote (front facing) Manji, representing love and mercy. Facing right, it represents strength and intelligence, and is called the Ura (rear facing) Manji. In Zen Buddhism, the Manji represents an ideal harmony between love and intellect.
Skip Nall has been a photographer for what seems to him like forever. When he was about 12 years old, his father gave him an Argus Rangefinder 35mm camera, and he instantly fell in love with photography. A “few” years later, he was photographing advertising, corporate, and editorial assignments in Dallas, TX.
In 1995, American Airlines sent him to Germany to photograph a story on the popularity of the American cowboy there. It was his first trip to Europe, and it was eye-opening. He met people that really wanted to be American cowboys; these Germans were so enthralled with the idea that they even built replicas of Western towns. Later that year, American Airlines sent him France to photograph a story on wine. Going up into the French mountains to photograph wine chateaus was an exciting assignment. During this trip, Skip made his first visit to Paris and fell in love with La Ville-Lumière, The City of Light. While he was there, he decided to take a hiatus from advertising, take up residence, and concentrate on travel photography.
Skip has since returned to the U.S., but he still travels extensively, photographing the places and people he encounters along the way. He is also cofounder of the f8 School of Photography Workshops and teaches classes there ranging from basic photography to more advanced applications of HDR and Photoshop.
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