Introduction:
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Dr. Polly Jaben moved to England in the early 1980’s. She traveled extensively through the British Isles, Europe and Russian in her capacity as a consultant to multinational organizations and their corresponding trade unions. As a social scientist she was charged with exploring the different perspective held by various individuals and groups and subsequently assisting them in resolving work-related conflicts. During that period photography was a means to record memories of her own experiences. In 1992 she retired and returned to the United States settling in the small Midwestern town of Plattsburg, Missouri. The focus of her photography changed from gathering memories to considering the different way s a situation or object can be viewed. The subject matter became less important as the interest in the viewing process increased.

Though the photographs in the exhibit do appear to have a theme, it is purely accidental. When viewing the photographs, it is important to ask yourself, “Would I have noticed this?” and “Would I have looked at this differently?” Shifting one’s perspective if only temporarily, highlights that our reality may not be another’s.