Paul Shambroom was a breath of fresh air after visiting artist, Alix Pearlstein. In a general sense, the subject matter of his work was more pressing- an investigation of power from local government forums to nuclear reactor sites, which consequently made it more engaging (this generation is concerned not with the antiquated idea of nuclear family units, sorry Pearlstein, but with the increasing reality of [and de-sensitivity to] nuclear war machines). It wasn't just his choice of focus either, Shambroom actually made a point to interact with his audience. Rather than put on pretentious airs, he was a bit self-effacing, just enough for you to accept his legitimacy as a photographer and real person.
Shambroom's work is modest in a lot of ways too. I was almost questioning his merits as a professional photographer when he addressed his aesthetic reasoning for the amateur appearance of his nuclear weapons series; and then he showed a couple images from a landscape series and then I knew that he knew what he was doing with a camera. By the end of his lecture, Shambroom was addressing the sheer nature of photography today, in a dialogue that acknowledged his audience's role in the future of this art form, beyond his own vision.
Overall, a great guy with an interesting vision. Nice pick, Paul.
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