Life, Love and Pursuit of: Daily Interactions with the World

"As free human beings we can use our unique intelligence to try to understand ourselves and our world. But if we are prevented from using our creative potential, we are deprived of one of the basic characteristics of a human being." ~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama Life is best when it is lived to the fullest potential and with the greatest sense of appreciation. This exhibit celebrates the one thing that every person around the world, all 6.9 billion of us, has in common: life. Life on Earth is dynamic, cyclical, and finite. We look for ways to enhance the gift of life every day, and this pursuit to find meaning within this life is personal. Regardless of how a person finds purpose in his or her life, two constants remain in each soul: love and the pursuit of something that eludes description, that intangible force that keeps us going. When coupled with the value of life, love and pursuit define who we are. Each component is inextricably linked to each other. Life has little meaning without love or a purpose; love is multiplied when effort towards a goal is pursued; the fuel for any pursuit is love and passion for life. Because everyone that I know, Every place that I go, Every story that Im told, Its love, Its love, Its love that were looking for. ~ Mat Kearney Love presents itself in many forms. The most obvious display is the affection one has for a spouse, parent, or child. But love can be seen also in the eyes of a nomadic man praying at the holiest site in Buddhism. It is shown in the passion of entertainment with children playing cricket in the dirtied streets of India. It is displayed as a badge of honor while a traditional Balinese dancer performs for an audience. Love surrounds each person and is viewed differently among us all. It is up to us to find that love that is ever-present in our day-to-day lives, even when it is difficult to see. I hope this exhibit will cast a different perspective on what it means to have love in your life, and to visualize it in all of its forms. "Because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream, but a necessity." ~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama Life is always changing, adapting, and becoming a different entity with every moment. The energy that we exert in the hopes to better ones self, family, and environment is the driving force in our dynamic lives. Every person strives toward something, whether it is to find happiness, security, serenity, or anything else that holds absolute value to that individual. This pursuit is what gives life its most acute moments of emotion. It can be seen in the stressful forehead rubbing during a job shift. It is displayed through the colorful Buddhist flags placed by someone at their highest possible point on Earth. The goal is made clearer by a group of children finding pure happiness in the simple act of jumping in unison. These daily interactions with the world were candid portrayals of lives around the globe; they also encapsulate moments in my own life. Though superficially these photographs may not seem related, I hope that you can find the unity of life among those captured by a snapshot. Perhaps you can, in viewing this exhibit, redefine the meaning of these words and reflect on their presence in your life. From various points in the world, of every race, age and gender, we all exude life, love and the pursuit of

Thank you for making these photographs an addition to your life, Michael Tirone