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News
of the current exhibit and events at Image City
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Image
City Photography Gallery
Newsletter #127 February 2, 2018
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For
a web page version of the Newsletter, Click Here
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We publish our Newsletter during each of our exhibits
to pass along information and reviews of the exhibit, selected images
and news of participation opportunities at Image City. We thank you
for your interest and we look forward to another great year of fine
photographs and events. We hope to see you at each of the 13 shows we
produce in 2018.
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First
Friday Gallery Night, February 2 from 5 - 9 pm.
Our current featured exhibit at Image City is Community, by John
Solberg, Steve Malloy Desormeaux, Don Menges and Gil Maker; each
giving us their interpretation of four diverse communities. In recent
years they have picked a theme that they individually interpret and
have successfully produced an exhibit with very different
communities, capturing each with there own styles of
portraiture and and community environment. The communities they
documented include Toronto, Portland and Bath, Maine, Cincinnati, local
county fairs, Mexico, and the streets of Rochester. It is an
exceptional visual display that emphasizes to us the diversity that
the photographers sought, found, and conveyed.
Guest Photographers for the exhibit are Peter Blackwood, Nick Jospe,
Anthony Paladino, and Mary Shelsby. They add much to the exhibit with
their fine photographs ranging from a lunar series, to landscapes, to
the Himalayas.
In the Neuberger Gallery, two Gallery
Artists-in-Residence exhibit current work. David Perlman continues
demonstrating his fascination with the mechanical, looking a bit
abstract, at times, in a series of black-and-white photographs. Jim
Patton continues his series of stunning portraits and landscapes
encountered in his global travel -- recently to the countries of
Armenia and Georgia.
Rounding out the exhibit are award-winning photographs from Camera
Rochester competitions by Bonnie Gamache, Earl Jackson, Tom Kredo,
Nikhil Nagane, and George Wallace as well as Gallery Photographers,
Dick Bennett, Carl Crumley, Steve Levinson, Luann Pero, Betsy
Phillips, Gary Thompson, Phyllis Thompson, and Sheridan Vincent.
Click
Here to see our website listing and link to a preview of a
stimulating selection of the superb photographs in the show. The
exhibit runs through Sunday, February 18. First Friday Gallery Night
is February 2, from 5 to 9 pm. There is no admission fee at Image
City and the Gallery is accessible to all. Hours are noon-6pm,
Tuesday through Saturday and noon-4pm on Sunday. We look forward to
your visit and support of Image City and the exhibiting photographers.
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Peter Marr's Picks of the
Exhibit
After reviewing the photographs
in the current exhibit Peter Marr selected four of his favorites
and has written a commentary on why he made the selections. This
is a popular feature of Image City exhibits, visitors enjoy
reading Peter's insightful comments while viewing the photos.
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Community #1 and #2 by Gil Maker Gil's refreshing, insightful and
inspiring images were taken in the summer of 2017 when he visited
2 immigration communities, one in Bath and one in Portland, both cities in the State
of Maine. In Community #1 and #2, both photographs are
comprised of 2 prints, and it is obvious that the subjects were
not posed, but they were certainly asked if they if not object to
be photographed. Immigrants whose ethnicity differs from that of
the host state or country all have mixed feelings of happiness
and concern. It seems to me that the people in Gil's images have
a refreshing and positive advantage in that they went to live in
immigrant communities, where these minority groups retained the
customs, languages and social views that they were familiar with.
Certainly, Gil had great respect for the people in his images,
and definitely there was no impertinent inquiry into their being.
These are statements that manifest his aesthetic and humanistic
concern. In Community
#1, I love the relaxed atmosphere of the print, and
the contrast between the elated and happy man at the right with
the rather perplexed man in the foreground. The second image in
this print has both happiness and comedic behavior rolled into
one. The man whose attire is somewhat bizarre shows his affection
for the lady in a somewhat funny and strange way, sort of like
putting on a show for the photographer. In Community #2,
it is lifting to see the genuine elation and exuberance of the
two men sitting on the concrete door step, displaying a devoted
friendship that one hopes will last a long time. The accompanying
print also exudes devotion and affection, but in a more reserved
way as though it was between a mother and her daughter. Gil's
poignant images clearly show that immigration is a great
life-changing experience, particularly if one moves into a
community where the ethnic culture is very familiar and welcoming
to everyone. Peter Marr
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by Steve Malloy
Desormeaux
4-H is an outstanding
organization, and Steve's delightful and uplifting portraits
beautifully illustrate the love and affection that young people
have for animals, one small but important part in their overall
goal to be partners and leaders in their community. From the
images that were taken at various County Fairs, I was
particularly taken with the study of 2 young 4-H participants
interacting with a sheep whose fleece had recently been sheared
off. The end result was an endearing triangle of joy and elation
that would melt the heart of any observer who was lucky enough to
view this print. The girl and the boy in this image emanate a
warmth and tenderness that is both genuine an inspiring. There is
both happiness and compassion in the young girl's face as she
watches the boy's hand rub the sheep's head. The compassion is
directed at the sheep, for how it must feel the loss of its coat,
probably being shorn for the first time. What is especially
noteworthy in this photograph is that it was not posed, so that
what one sees is the naturalness of the occasion, resulting in an
insightful situation of companionship and spirited bonding
between the girl and the boy with themselves and the sheep. It is
an imaginative learning experience for these two young people, and
hopefully it will give them a good foundation in their quest to
honor the 4-H pledges for an organization that contributes so
much to their community. Peter Marr
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The Negotiation by Don Menges Don's exceptional B/W images superbly unravel the
fabric of human experience, showing us the community as he sees
it, and invites the active engagement of the discriminating
viewer. He has great respect for his subjects in the sense of an
intense observer and not an intruder. The Negotiation is an
outstanding example of Don's perception and creativity, capturing
a Cartier Bresson moment that Henri would have been proud to have
taken. This image is greatly enhanced by the use of the B/W media
where the rich range of tones fully complement the total scene
with expressive highlight and shadow detail. One is immediately
aware that this is a classic and delightful urban gathering, a
setting that has been repeated countless times over the years,
though not necessarily with the same participants. All that is
missing is the sound stage that would let the observer listen in
to what the people are conversing about. For myself, and I hope
for most viewers, I do not want to know what is transpiring here.
This bus stop setting is a consummate opportunity for every
observer to actively supply their own version of what is
happening here. For myself, the white-haired gentleman looks in
reasonable health, with no apparent disabilities, and would not
be asking to replace one of the ladies on the bench. Furthermore,
asking them to move over so that he could sit down would not be a
good possibility, considering the relative sizes of the women,
particularly the one on the extreme left. The third lady on the
bench is obviously voicing some concern, as is the woman in the
center. Ironically, the man on the far right is looking away,
deliberately avoiding any possible conflict, whilst the man in
the poster at the top right appears to be ironically amused by
the whole situation. The bottom line is that this great image
captures an uplifting community experience, that has been
inspiringly photographed by Don for everyone to enjoy, admire,
and think deeply about. Peter Marr
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People of Chiapas
#7 by John Solberg John's remarkable images of the Chiapas community
is a great and passionate tribute to these wonderful indigenous
people who live in the rural highlands of Chiapas. It is
interesting to learn from his short biography that after armed
revolt, constitutional reforms in 2001 successfully allowed these
proud people to retain and preserve their cultural and spiritual
heritage. Of all of John's prints, I particularly admired his
photograph of 7 delightful children, expressing true community
spirit with their arms around each other as though they were one.
Simply dressed in well-worn clothing, they obviously were very
willing to be photographed, probably pleased and honored as they
represented the next generation that would carry on the culture
and values of their parents and the community. These children
were born and raised in this area, so there was a strong bond
between them, and at this time they have limited knowledge of the
outside world. At this stage in their life they learned
exclusively from their parents and elders and from themselves.
There seems to be a dogged determination in all of their faces,
the only hint of surprise and excitement coming from the little
girl at the far right. Her curiosity is in marked contrast to the
girl next to her whose demeanor seems to show concern as to what
is going on here. The 5 boys may have been taken a bit by
surprise when asked to get together for a photograph although
they certainly willingly participated. Two of them had been
playing what is probably a popular pastime, spinning a small
circular ring across a string that was tied to their thumbs. This
operation although simplistic could be an important learning tool
for such things as patience and dexterity. We are deeply indebted
to John for taking and showing us these impressive and inspiring
images, and our hearts and admiration go out to this Chiapas
community who have in spite of severe hardship have fought so
successfully to preserve their culture and heritage. Peter Marr
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We are very grateful to Peter Marr 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.
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Partners' Picks of the Exhibit
After reviewing the photographs by our Guest Photographer in the
current exhibit, Gallery Partners selected our "picks"
from the exhibit and added a written commentary on why we made
the selection.
Snow Geese to the Moon by Peter Blackwood This is a magical photograph which showed the
patience and "good eye" of the photographer. The moon is in a
crescent phase, but it is not quite night, so the moon appears
almost ghost like.
Below the moon is an almost "constellation" of Snow Geese, white
bodies reflecting the last of the light. Their black
wingtips mark the end of their outstretched shapes.The grouping of geese almost look like they are
either propping up the moon in the sky OR that the moon is
releasing these birds to the earth. It is amazing how this
relatively simple composition is open to various interpretations
by the viewer. This image is beautifully composed, making a
strong graphic statement with the just a simple combination of
the rising moon and a "parade" of snow geese.
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Himalayan Child #4by Nicholas Jospe Nick's wonderful exhibit of children assembled from
images taken on a trip to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal could just as
well be titled, Through the Eyes of a Child. Engaging,
smiling, inquisitive, fun loving, triumphant are all adjectives
that could be used to describe the children who Nick encountered
on his travels. I selected Himalayan Child #4 not only
because of the clear interaction between the child and Nick, but
also because of Nick's use of the compositional elements in his
photograph. The subdued, but complimentary colors first attract
the viewer to the image. The bold lines and rectangles are
repeated throughout the frame. Nick places the child somewhat in
the center of the picture, not always suggested as a good idea by
photography gurus. Yet it works.
By using the diagonal lines of the house and window
frame creates enough tension in the photo that centering the
child does not make any difference. The light on the child's face
is beautiful; just enough to highlight the face, but not too much
to allow enough shadows to create depth and contours. The
darkened room behind the child further pushes the facial features
to the foreground of the image. This is a delightful and magical
image to behold. Thank you, Nick for allowing us to 'trek'
alongside as you encountered these children.
Winter Shadow by Mary Shelsby This wonderful large print by Mary draws the viewer
into this landscape. The tree's shadows lead you into this
beautiful setting. The trees are a major part of the composition,
even though they are strong shadowy features of the composition.The
evening sun is just setting, the blue sky will be soon gone, but
it is still there with the colorful clouds reflecting the setting
sun, providing a beautiful counterpoint color to the blue water
and almost colorless trees. We look through the tree's
silhouettes and notice that there are still some stubborn leaves
not willing to leave their home. They pick up the colors of
the sunset as an additional feature of this image.The use of the
large format is very effective; it fills the viewer's eyes, focusing
them on just this great landscape.Having this photograph on your
wall would be a constant pleasure to view and get lost in
nature's beauty.
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Image City Critiques Group Meets February 7
The Image City Critique Group will meet on Wednesday,
February 7th, beginning at 6:30 PM. We will be exploring simple
techniques to improve images using PhotoShop and Lightroom. Please
prepare 2 photographs you would like us to work on and use the link
below to upload them.
- NO
PRINTS this month.
- Please
send the original un-edited JPG photos and keep your images at
300pi and as large as possible.
- Rename
them with your last name... menges1.jpg, menges2.jpg.
- When
you click the upload link you will given further instructions.
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Image City Photography Gallery, 722 University Avenue
February 2, 5 - 9pm,
First Friday Gallery Night February 7, 6:30,
Image
City Critiques Group Meeting
February 18,
Last
Day of Community
by
Gil Maker, Steve Malloy-Desormeaux, Don Menges and John Solberg February 20,
First Day of Peter's
Picks 2016 - A Retrospective
February 26, 5 -
8:30pm, Reception for
Peter's Picks 2016 - A Retrospective
March 2, 5 - 9pm,
First Friday Gallery Night
Image
City Photography Gallery Hours Tuesday-
Saturday Noon - 6pm
There is no
admission fee to visit Image City and we are accessible to all.
in the Heart of the Neighborhood
of the Arts where our
mission is to create a quality exhibition and learning
experience for photographers and the art-loving community.
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