Jack Ramsdale
"621", 2010
Printed photograph
18 x 21"
Edition 1 of 5

Artist Statement

This image evokes a quiet psychological tension between intimacy and exposure. The small turquoise house feels personal and vulnerable-its bright trim and compact form suggesting individuality and care-yet it stands beneath a towering transmission mast and a web of power lines that seem to press in from above. The vertical steel structure introduces a sense of surveillance, reach, and unseen presence, as if invisible currents move through the air while the street remains still.

​The scene feels contemplative and slightly isolating. The parked car, empty windows, and muted sky contribute to a subdued atmosphere, where time appears slowed. The contrast between warm autumn foliage and cold industrial metal suggests the coexistence of human warmth and mechanical indifference.

​The image speaks to modern life-how private domestic spaces exist within vast networks of communication and infrastructure. It reflects the paradox of being both grounded and connected, sheltered yet exposed, solitary yet constantly transmitting and receiving signals beyond view.

Artist Bio
John (Jack) Ramsdale has been exhibiting his work since the late 1970s. He received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1981. His multidisciplinary practice spans photography, multimedia installation, sculpture, video, and performance.

While living in Ontario, Ramsdale was awarded a solo exhibition at the Canadian Centre of International Photography in Toronto and received multiple grants from the Ontario Arts Council.

More recently, his work was included in The Pennsylvania Landscape in Impressionism and Contemporary Art, curated by Brian Peterson at the Woodmere Museum of Art in Philadelphia. His photographs were also featured in JUST IN, an exhibition highlighting recent acquisitions to Woodmere's permanent collection.

Ramsdale currently lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

jackramsdalephotography.com