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| Gallery Picks of the Show Through the Student Lens 2014
Peter Marr
and Gallery Partners have chosen their "Picks of the Show".
click here to return to the details of the exhibit All images copyright by the individual photographers
Peter
Marr's Picks of the Exhibit |
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Java’s Alley
by Don Menges
Over the years
Don has made countless memorable images of both interior and exterior
scenes, perfecting his photographic and digital expertise by hard work
and dedication to succeed. Today he is justly renowned for his
superlative technique and his amazing command of the digital media, all
of which are richly displayed in his inspiring exhibition at the Image
City.
In Java’s Alley, Don has used
a fisheye lens to imaginatively capture the subject matter in a
definitive and creative manner, resulting in a curvilinear vista of the
alley, which is framed elegantly by the 2 powerful curved support
pillars in the immediate foreground. What is so magical, and is
definitely the result of his digital software virtuosity, the graceful
curved features artistically taper down until one gets to about
one-third of the way into the image, where the alley becomes remapped to
a rectilinear perspective. Every element in the first-third of this
print, from the brick and concrete sides of adjoining buildings, the
brickwork on the pathway and the shadow designs, they are in unison as
they eventually lose their curved features. Where the linear perspective
begins, Java’s Alley continues on into the distance, ending with an open
metal structure, against which a person can be clearly seen. The strong
directional lighting results in exceptional detail and incredible
sharpness throughout the print, and the tonal scale and wide range of
values all contribute greatly in making this spectacular print. It is
interesting that the strong sunlight passing through the triangular end
of the open-meshed roof of the alley, casts a shadow in the form of an
arrow, the tip of which points directly at the viewer. Although one is
aware of this, there is only one way to visit Java’s Alley, and that is
directly through the curved portal that Don has so astutely engineered,
so that one can journey through the brick walkway and enjoy every
feature of this delightful thoroughfare.
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Peter Marr
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Reclining Woman
by Don Menges
Don’s enthusiastic support of the art and community intervention project
is both laudable and inspiring. He has skillfully captured the very
essence and poignancy of some of the wall murals, which will hopefully
influence Image Gallery visitors to learn more about this project, and
encourage them to visit their location to see for themselves how these
murals have enhanced our urban landscape.I was particularly captivated
by Reclining Woman, in which
Don has creatively utilized a fisheye lens to dramatically make a
building structure come alive, to draw attention to an impressive mural
of the reclining woman. Using his consummate knowledge of digital
software, Don has ingeniously kept the vertical elements in place,
whilst masterfully shaping and curving the foreground and the building’s
roofline to complement many of the features in the mural. There is
exceptional visual continuity and the light throughout the scene blends
beautifully. The foreground has amazing textural differences that helps
distinguish areas of similar tonal values. These textures help highlight
every minute detail of the concrete pavement and the myriads of cracks
and intricate patterns in the sidewalk. The entire foreground curves
effortlessly around the building, and for further emphasis, the lines
that separate the concrete slabs all angle and point toward the mural.
Of particular significance, the central mural is accentuated in size,
whilst the surrounding artwork is tapered down, and it is given the
added attention that in all of the exceptional tonal gradations in this
image, the highest value is given to the reclining woman. I would be
remiss if I did not mention the spectacular sky above the roofline of
the building, in which expressive patterns of diffuse clouds all project
downwards arrowed towards the mural itself. What is so especial in this
uplifting print, is that the mural artist has strikingly painted a real
work of art, and that Don has used his great talents to fashion a
remarkable image, where all of the elements support the reclining woman,
especially all of the curved features which personify and emulate all of
the exquisite features of the woman. A real tour de force for Don, and a
great tribute to the mural artist.
--
Peter Marr
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Madrid by Laurence Fischer
This is an exceptional example of visual art where the manner that the
imageis portrayed, rather than the image itself triggers the brain’s
reward circuit, although as one is looking at hard lines and angles, the
end result may be that the brain is tense and on edge. The color palette
has an extrordinary range of hues and vibrancy, and the architectural
forms are seen as endless arrays with powerful geometric relationships.
The rhythmic interplay of surfaces, lines, color and values blend
effortlessly into an organic coordination of visual elements, which is a
true reflection of Laurence’s unequaled way of seeing, one that is
consistent with her superb body of work in this exhibition. If the
author had recorded this imposing structure as the eye would normally
see it, the end result would be an excellent record shot of what is
probably an apartment complex, one in which the architect and the
builder wanted to make a statement of desirability for prospective
buyers with the use of modern design and bold colors as attractive
features. Although this seems like an exciting concept, in some
peoples’s eyes, these apartments resemble a series of identical
rectangulaar boxes, arranged in orderly fashion, the only distinguishing
feature for each of them being the exterior color. Laurence cleverly
recorded this housing complex on a steep diagonal plane instead of
horizontally. In doing this the apartments lose their identity, and each
housing unit becomes part of a graphic connected pattern, rows of
identical shapes distinguished only from each other by the color of the
box. The ensuing diagonal lines create a powerful compositional effect
because of their inherent instability. There is a tension between the
image and what one wants the image to do. When captured here as diagonal
elements, to the viewer, the impression is that they are in the process
of falling.This is a dynamic and creative image, exquisitely seen and
photographed.
Peter Marr |
| | Peter Marr |
We are very grateful to Peter for his thorough review and selection for Peter's Picks. Peter was born in England in 1935 and came to live in the United States in 1968. He worked for the Eastman Kodak Company for 34 years, retiring in 1998. During his employment and continuing into retirement, he has been an enthusiastic photographer. His photography has won him numerous awards throughout Kodak and in International Salons, including 5 George Eastman Medals, which is the top honor awarded to the most outstanding picture in the Annual Kodak International Salon. He has served as a judge in both local and international photographic competitions for the past 20 years, and is a Past president of the Kodak Camera Club and past chairman of many of the Kodak Camera Club organizations. In the past five years or so, he has devoted his photographic skills and interest into nature photography, notably bird photography. His bird photography has been the subject of several one-person exhibits, the most recent being at Ding Darling NWR, in Sanibel, Florida, The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, New York, and at the Webster Public Library in Webster, NY.
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Partners' Picks of the Exhibit |
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Sunset by Dick Beery
There’s something mysterious in this wonderful image. The strong band of
sunset light crosses he center of the image, illuminating the stand of
trees, some of which extend upward to the canopy, and many others are
only poles reaching into the sky. There is a depth, too, pulling the
viewer’s eye to the most distant and the least distinct tree forms. The
trunks become vertical bars, some dark, some shrouded behind the band of
light, each contributing to the nearly monochromatic forest. The image
is filled with verticality; each trunk could be a note in a musical
piece flowing across the image, lending lateral movement to this
so-vertical structure.
Below the musical light, the shadow carries these straight vertical
trunks and their reflections into the waters below, where the horizontal
makes its appearance. Here the sky reappears in reflection and presents
a pattern of light that again sends the viewer’s eye to the distant.
Returning to the top of the image, there is a shroud of light that sifts
downward into the image, adding to the mystery.
The three dimensions – the vertical, the horizontal and depth, each take
their place in the image, and their integration has produced a beautiful
and mysterious image.
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Ardor
by Cynthia
Fay
Cynthia has a series of abstracts that appears to
be out of this world. The vivid colors, viscous fluids and
disproportionate lines contribute to this affect.
Ardor is one of her photos
that is particularly striking with depth, vibrant color and movement.
One could almost view this as a microscopic photo of the inside of the
body with blood vessels and caplets floating in the space. I have an
image in my mind of the movie “The Fantastic Voyage” of a miniature
capsule on a journey inside a scientist’s body trying to save him.
However, Cynthia reminds us that photos may be of anything and has taken
the saying to heart, that images are where you see them. While sitting
in her car going through a car wash Cynthia wisely grabbed her camera
and got to work.
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Closed 1 by Roslyn
Rose
Can a simple image cause a feeling of dread in
the viewer? This is the question that
Closed 1 by Roslyn Rose asks
us. A storefront that has been closed for some time, a winter’s day.
Technically the image is complete:
The lighting is good, colors are authentic, and the subject is
crisp and sharp.
The feeling of dread though comes from the
subject. What of the dolls? Are they left over from a doll store?
Where they part of child mannequins that once modeled children’s
clothes? Or could it be a metaphor of something more sinister? Is it
possible the heads are what is left of a group of children that could
not escape some past horror?
This is the power of a strong image. A strong
image forces the viewer to linger. A strong image provokes strong
emotional feeling. The image opens the viewer to imagine many different
interpretations. Ms. Rose
has created an image that at first looks simple, but as one studies it,
the strength of her image demands us to ponder its significance.
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