Robert Moran’s personal photography projects have taken him around the world. But for this series of images, he focused his lens on “common objects that are past their prime.”

Of the objects in the series, Moran says, “Once relied upon, they have been forgotten or discarded. I photographed each item singly in order to reveal its individual essence.

“Cracks and scuffs of hard use. Mended hinges. Patches worn smooth by frequent polishing”

Moran adds, “I came to appreciate how often function dictates form, and how frequently the form is right.”

He said in some cases the objects were used for years by one person, while in other cases they passed through many hands.

“They’ve been used in homes, offices, a school gym, and taken on house calls by a country doctor,” Moran says. “All of them have stories.”
Selecting and photographing the items caused him to “think about the events in my life to which objects have borne witness. In a sense, they are our partners in life.”

Moran says that over the years he has taken pictures of everything from classic cars to icebergs “and now…a table fan.”

“Each time, I strive to capture something of my subject’s essential spirit,” he says. “In this project, I have tried to achieve that by selecting items that display a unique aura, and in many cases, reveal wear and tear obtained from many years of use.”

Moran, a fine art photographer, lives on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine. His interest in photography began at age 12. After studying art at the University of Maine, he ran several businesses over the course of 20 years.
During that time, he pursued personal photography projects on trips to Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific. His recent undertakings have taken him to Cuba and Antarctica.

Moran’s work has been shown in galleries and museums throughout the U.S. His photographs are included in private collections in the U.S., as well as in Australia and Europe. His award-winning photographs have recently been published in The Photo Review, Shots Magazine, and B&W + Color Magazine.
The Griffin satellite gallery, which had been at 4 Clarendon St. in Boston’s South End over the past year, has moved back to its renovated and expanded space in Belmont.