Cyd Peroni
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The Artist

“As for me, I see both beauty and the dark side of things; the loveliness of cornfields and full sails, but the ruin as well. And I see them at the same time, and chary of that ecstasy. The Japanese have a phrase for this dual perception: mono no aware. It means "beauty tinged with sadness," for there cannot be any real beauty without the indolic whiff of decay. For me, living is the same thing as dying, and loving is the same thing as losing, and this does not make me a madwoman; I believe it can make me better at living, and better at loving, and, just possibly, better at seeing.”
— Sally Mann

I’m a late bloomer. Got my driver’s license at 26. Married at 30. Graduated from college at 37. Started my own freelance writing career at 48. Decided I could no longer live without a camera in my hand at 50.

I believe in magic and angels. I feel a visceral connection to plants, animals, and nature in general. Poetry and violin music can make me cry. A full moon and the way it lights up the night fill me with awe.

I grew up in rural Ohio surrounded by rolling green hills, farms, and coal mines. There wasn’t much to do there so I daydreamed quite a bit. I did take dance lessons and learned to play the flute. My 4H club advisor taught me how to sew a bean bag, a needle book, and tea towel. I imagined I would be a writer after I got a letter from “Nancy Drew” author Carolyn Keene (I only learned recently there were lots of Nancy Drew ghost writers). I knew I’d be a photographer when I saw the texture and shapes of a snow-covered tree trunk through the lens of my first camera.

My work is about making sense of life, a sorting out of experiences and attendant emotions. Since life seems so complicated, I’m drawn to distilling my images down to essential elements. I try to give tangibility to those sacred, invisible things that live deep inside my heart (everyone’s heart really) and are often manifested in nature.

The physicality of photographs and the creation of a handmade object are important. I like touching the paper when I’m working, brushing on the chemicals, washing the paper, applying metal leaf or pigments. The process is only a part of my practice though. I like experimenting and finding a way that feels right to express an emotion or tell a story. My photographs are an offering and my hope that I will leave something behind for someone else that is beautiful and meaningful and lasting, and that we might feel a connection to each other.