At some point in the life of any artist they must make a choice: idealism versus realism. This is not necessarily a value judgment, but more a reflection of how one sees the world around us. Do I see the world around me and long for it to be a different, better, more fruitful place, or do I look around at the graffitied walls, peeling paint, and chipping stucco and accept it? Can I embrace a reality where things are imperfect and becoming less perfect every day?



There is an honesty is the photography of Morgan Shields. Not only does she embrace the decaying nature of the material world, but she is able to examine it, step back and capture something subtly beautiful about it. If all things do truly tend toward decay then each moment is a unique view of a location, space, or idea that will never again be the same. Morgan is able to search out those places and people and capture them in their ideal moments.



Let’s all take a moment and look around through the eyes of Morgan. There is a strangely lovely world around us if we are willing to get out and trudge through the dirt and asphalt alleys to find it. Idealism is a good and noble pursuit, but we can all identify with a deisre to embrace the real around us.