SANDRA DYAS
Maya, Rolly World, near Bellvue, Iowa, gelatin silver print

About the artwork, Dyas writes: What strikes me about compelling artwork is the passion that lies within it. Like great music, it must hold some brand of magical mystery ...soulful honesty.

My work reflects my life. Small town carnivals, abandoned houses, gravel roads, broken down little towns. I find it everywhere I go, not just here in Iowa. Robert Frank said that he wanted to describe what it felt like to drive into "the sad American night". It is the antithesis of the shiny new America we see on T.V. and in our media. It is a side of life that not everyone knows about, nor cares to. Tom Waits' music reminds me of the sort of photograph that I am fascinated with finding. I love the oddness of life, its beauty and its honesty. I take photographs because I am drawn to the spirit, hope and hopelessness of life.

Sandra Dyas's website