Gallery Photographers
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Chimney Rock
It is always great to enjoy Dick Beery's
photographs of the American South West. In this show he
provides stunning images from Kodachrome Basin State Park (perhaps
soon to be re-named "Digitally Enhanced JPEG Park”???) Chimney Rock, an amazing structure to start
with, is a wonderful example of how a skilled photographer can
present a subject in such a way as it becomes even stronger. There is a powerful graphic sense to the strong
upright rock contrasted against the amazing blue sky. If you
haven't traveled to this part of the word such skies can look
"artificial", BUT this is the actual color of the cloudless
skies of Utah on a sunny day. The detail of the rock is beautifully
captured,, showing off the structure of this monolith, while still
keeping its deep black color . Dick skillfully contrasts
the Chimney Rock against the blue sky,but is broken up by the
beautiful yellows and oranges of the sun at the horizon. This
makes for a very dramatic composition. If you look closely, you can see the crescent
of the moon slightly to the right of Chimney rock....giving some
counterpoint to the composition and also lending even more interest
to the composition. The ground is in deep shadows, with only a
small amount of detail showing...making for a firm base for the rock
jutting into the beautiful sky. Charlotte
Airport Sky Lights John always challenges us with his photographs.
The 5 images on the gallery’s west front wall hang together
tightly with their dark grey matts with a small white edge. That is
as far as it goes. Each one of these photographs hold secrets for us
to unravel. John is one
of our Visiting Artists for this and the next 2 exhibits. We will be
challenged to interpret several of his works.
This time, it is the Charlotte Airport Skylights.
There is a line in John’s text that attracts me, especially
when trying to decern his photographs. “We interpret what we see,
select the most workable of the multiple choices.”
John always leaves us room to interpret what we see, but I
think he would rather have us think more deeply about his images and
not necessarily be satisfied with a workable choice. Here’s how I interpret “Charlotte Airport
Skylights.” So, the
title gives away the mystery of this photo.
Let’s ignore the lights in the sky (and the ground) for a
moment. We would actually have a pretty decent photo with the docked
plane on the right, the passenger conduit on the left, and a very
interesting pattern in the sky.
The reflected interior window lights create a vanishing
perspective, as if landing lights heading in the opposite direction.
This causes a contradiction for my mind to deal with. Are we coming
or are we going? These skylights are cleverly hidden in the clouds
as if they actually belong there.
This is one of John’s stories; creating a 3-dimensional
effect in a 2-dimensional object. Have fun with the others. Alone Steve’s photographic collection of Irish
Impressions from the land and water to the art and architecture to
the people brings a deep appreciation, not only of the subject
itself, but also the skill and creativity of the
artist-photographer.
The collection has a unity enhanced by the color tone that softens otherwise black and white
images and brings about a kind of intimacy.
That intimate feeling is so very present in this image,
Alone. The man
stands facing the sea – an expanse extending to the unbroken horizon
and a sky filled with a majestic and powerful cloud.
He stands alone, accompanied in that vast space of nature by
the distant bird, wings outstretched.
It’s sometimes hard to know just why an image
has the power it does, so I’ll just have to share my own sense of
it. Others may have a
different experience.
The wonderful softness of the color and the wide range of “grays”
creates an almost dreamlike quality.
There are no bright colors to distract, and there are only a
few elements in the photograph allowing it to be almost symbolic.
The short wall at the bottom of the photograph, with all its detail,
brings me close, but I remain an observer, blocked from direct
access. The high
contrast of the man against the receding clouds gives him a dominant
presence, and the texture of the jacket makes him even more real.
It is as if I’m standing not too far behind him.
I look past him to the sea and above him to the towering
white cloud. All of a sudden, I’m sharing this space, and I’m alone
there, too. What’s it
like for you? Grizzly Bear Photographs of animals are always a wonderful
subject. Zachariah Mein’s Grizzly Bear works so well as the bear is
looking the viewer directly into their eyes (or at least seems that
way). Any animal that does this becomes the subject of
“anthropomorphism”…assigning to an animal “human” traits. The bear looks like a calm, quiet, reserved
animal, without a hint of aggression. One could imagine walking up
to the log, taking a seat and scratching behind one of its ears. (So
much for imagining.) It is a wonderful portrait.The lush
golden-brown color, the flow of the fur down either side of the
head, the wet black nose and the straight-ahead eyes looking
directly at the viewer. The texture of the log and the face brings
our attention there, and the use of the selective focus technique
keeps our attention there. The finish of the photograph is wonderful,
large prints seem to more often resonate with the viewer than
smaller prints. Zach has captured an intimate picture of a bear
known for its power and dominance. But don’t be fooled. He’s still a Grizzly
bear. Hats off to Zachariah, getting this photography without
becoming dinner!
Java Moment Michael Shoemaker is presenting a series of
four photos he took in New York City on a bright sunny day in
December. Instead of taking bright sunny photos, he decides to use
the light judiciously. Photography is all about seeing light and
using it to highlight a feeling, mood or tell a story. Michael uses
the strong directional light in a very subtle way to focus your
attention to the contours and outlines of the subjects. The one that
most caught my eye was Java Moment. Less than 10% of the photo is
light, yet that light illuminates much about the subject. The light
is focused just slightly off center. The subject is tilting forward
suggesting movement. The nearly monotone earth tones of a brunette
and a camel colored, perhaps wool, coat with the hand holding the
ubiquitous green and white Starbucks cup of coffee. The colors
enhance to softness of the coat, that would likely not be as
apparent in a black and white photo. He even has a lens flare that,
rather than detract from the image, draws the eyes’ attention to the
beverage. The light catches the 90-degree arm holding the coffee and
the bunching up of the coat has a number of geometrically
fascinating shapes. It’s most certainly morning, especially from the
direction of the light and someone may be off to work. I can almost
visualize the steam coming off the coffee, if the constricting top
were not on. This is a very good example of using just enough light
to create a wonderful image. Well done, Michael. Key of Life When you walk into the Neuberger Gallery you
are immediately surrounded by a consistently rich and deeply
saturated collection of photographs from Egypt.
Michelle did not attempt to provide us the expected
travelogue of photos with camels, pyramids, and sand… lots of sand.
Rather she titled her grouping “Another Look at Egypt,” and
concentrated instead on the people performing their ordinary daily
chores which in many cases was to support the tourist trade. She’s
correct, of course, that these could have been take many years ago
as life on the Egyptian street has changed little. The photo that captured the Gallery’s attention
is Key of Life.
The Egyptian cross, also known as Ankh, was originally an Egyptian
hieroglyph used to represent the word “life”. By extension, this
cross became primarily a symbol of life. Egyptian belief in an after
life give us reason to imagine that this door and its “keeper” might
be an entrance to an afterlife.
The texture of the column and door, as well as the key itself
play into our scenario. But what of the sentry? He seems more
“modern” and therefore is our connection. His gaze seems to suggest
he has a story to tell.
Spend some time in the Neuberger Gallery and study each of
Michelle’s photographs. There are many stories to be told here. | ||||||||||||||||
Image City Photography Gallery ♦ 722 University Avenue ♦ Rochester, NY 14607 ♦ 585.271.2540 In the heart of ARTWalk in the Neighborhood of the Arts |