Posts made in April, 2010
JUROR AMBER TERRANOVA {RED}
(Photo credit: Curtain, Palais Garnier, Paris, France, 2009 by David Leventi)
I was drawn to photos that instead of just casual inclusion of something red, hinted at the theme by alluding to a memory, a political happening or a cultural practice. Others exposed grandeur in architecture, displayed honest portraiture, or explored abstract expression.
The Center was honored to have Amber Terranova as the juror for the Red exhibition, which is on display in the Center’s Main Gallery from April 23 to May 22, 2010.
Juror’s Statement:
I keep seeing red now. I’ve spotted rosy cheeks in the cold, splashes of red in the landscape and a hair bow turned to just the right angle in the sun. It was a treat to judge entries around a theme that emphasizes color in photography. The simplest rules can sometimes make the best competitions.
Red is a psychologically powerful color, often used as a symbol of intense emotion or action. This made for an eclectic mix of entries. I approached my selection as if I were editing any body of work around a specific theme, by asking questions: Does the image have a point of view? Is it inventive? Does it have some personal resonance? Does it tell me something about the person or people in it? Is it dynamic? Does it raise questions or pique my curiosity? Does it make me feel uncomfortable and stop me in my tracks? Does it have interesting composition and hold my interest as my eye moved through it.
In many of the thousand entries, I was struck by the variety of well-composed, graphically striking images that led to something deeper. I was drawn to photos that instead of just casual inclusion of something red, hinted at the theme by alluding to a memory, a political happening or a cultural practice. Others exposed grandeur in architecture, displayed honest portraiture, or explored abstract expression.
Traditional and alternative processes worked well in the color-theme competition. Wendy Small‘s photograms, David Rivas’ infrared and cross-processed C-prints and Sergio Dennis’ “Lava monster,” shot on Kodachrome all stood out. In Kathy Beal’s, “Red Rose,” the idea of the rose is transformed into a layered, flattened object, almost like a sculpture on paper.
But more straightforward acknowledgements of red worked well, too. Ken Lee’s, ”Morning Devotions” depicts Tibetan Buddhist nuns praying in their red robes under a bright umbrella of red hues illuminated by natural light. The vibrancy of red in the Soviet flags in Evi Lemberger‘s image calls attention to the gathering.
What all of the 50 chosen images share is an ability to stand on their own as an expression of a unique voice. Together, they changed the way I see, which is, after all, what we ask of photography.
Amber Terranova is the Photo Editor for Photo District News (PDN). Her career has focused mostly on editorial work, with positions at New York magazine and Outside magazine, all the while working on international commercial advertising shoots, industry programming, and photo consulting.
Read MoreDAVID LEVENTI {DIRECTOR’S SELECTION}
(Photo credit: Curtain, Palais Garnier, Paris, France, 2009 by David Leventi)
New York City-based photographer David Leventi has two photographs, Curtain, Palais Garnier, Paris, France, 2009 and Romanian Antheneum, Bucharest, Romania, 2007, featured in the Center’s “Red” exhibition. Curtain, Palais Garnier, Paris, France, 2009 was awarded the Director’s Selection. Both photographs come from his most recent series, Bjoerling’s Larynx, which documents the intricate interiors of world-famous opera houses. Leventi’s photographs, through the use of a large-format view camera, capture the scrupulous architectural details that define these historic national landmarks. Each opera house becomes an allegory for the wealth of its respective nation.
On one level, Leventi’s documentation preserves the visual integrity of these luxurious interiors; while, on another level, the series is also deeply personal to Leventi himself:
The project is titled after Jussi Björling, a Swedish operatic tenor and arguably the best singer of the century – known for his technique, feeling and the range of his voice. Bjoerling debuted at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm and eventually became a principal at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. These two spaces – and the others that I have photographed thus far – are the spaces in which my grandfather, Anton Gutman, never got the chance to perform. Gutman was a cantor trained right after World War II by Helge Rosvaenge, a famous Danish operatic tenor who sang regularly with the State Operas in Berlin and Vienna. While Gutman was interned in a prisoner-of-war camp in the Soviet Union, he performed for prisoners and officers. Nearly a half-century later, I grew up listening to him sing while he walked around our living room. As the son of two architects, I experience an almost religious feeling walking into a grand space such as an opera house.
You can read the rest of Leventi’s artist statement by clicking [HERE].
(Photo credit: Romanian Antheneum, Bucharest, Romania, 2007 by David Leventi)
More of David’s work can be found at www.davidleventi.com
Read MoreJULIA BAUM
(Photo credit: Drew by Julia Baum)
(Photo Credit: Erin, 2008 by Julia Baum)
Two portraits from Julia Baum‘s series, A Rare Breed, were selected by juror Amber Terranova for the “Red” exhibition. A natural redhead herself, Baum understands what it is that makes redheads so unique. As her photographs attest, it’s more than just the color of their hair. Over the course of her project she has been keeping a blog and regularly posting her latest portraits. You can visit her blog at: http://ararebreed.blogspot.com/
Redheads are not Baum’s only photographic forte, either. Her series, Houses, depicts the vibrant personality of residential constructions and suburban landscaping.
Baum’s artist statement for A Rare Breed reads:
A redhead myself, I use the photographic portrait to investigate elements of what makes the red-haired person so unique. My project was initiated by a widely printed rumor that redheads are going extinct. While the rumor proved to be false, I continued documenting my red-haired subjects to celebrate and explore their individuality.As only 1% of the entire human population, our distinctive coloring is a defining feature from day one. We are used to being one in a crowd and regularly noted for our appearance. Experiencing life in this way from infancy through adulthood influences who we are. As a natural redhead, I know our hair color affects more than just how we look.
Throughout the series, while the red hair gene is constant, each coloration and personality exemplifies a unique manifestation. In A Rare Breed, I take advantage of the radiant light of my daylight studio to examine the outward appearance and inner character my subjects present. Depicting individuals in front of a simple white background, I allow the viewer to examine the nuance of each shade of red in an intimate series of photographs.
More of Julia’s work can be found at www.juliabaum.com
Read MoreNATALIA ENGELHARDT
(Photo credit: Sasha, Moscow 2007 by Natalia Engelhardt)
Congratulations to Natalia Engelhardt, Juror’s Selection for the Center’s Red exhibition!
The Red exhibition, which opens today in the Center’s Main Gallery, was juried by Amber Terranova, Photo Editor at Photo District News. The Artists’ and Public Reception will be held on Friday, May 7, from 6 PM to 9 PM.
On Saturday, May 8, the Center is also hosting a jurors’ gallery talk with Amber Terranova and Katherine Ware. Click [HERE] for more information.
Natalia Engelhardt is a Russian photographer based in New York City. Her photographs are often portraits of strangers as well as people with whom she has a close relationship. She describes her award-winning photograph in her artist statement:
Sasha, Moscow 2007 is a photograph of a seventeen year old girl I had met on the street just minutes before this picture was taken. She was sitting on a bench, reading a book, her viola lying next to her. This photo is part of a series of portraits of kids that I met on the boulevard in central Moscow, the place that my friends and I had frequented growing up. I felt that this bit of personal history would help me make photographs of strangers more intimate.
More of Natalia’s work can be found at www.nataliaengelhardt.com
Read MoreTHE FACE OF
(Photo Credit: Denzel 197 by Chris Bucher)
The Center for Fine Art Photography is looking for youth from Fort Collins and surrounding areas, aged 13 to 18, to submit portrait photographs for our upcoming exhibition titled, The Face of Fort Collins. We are also looking for youth to participate in the Center’s two-week intensive workshop in July!
The two-week intensive will be taught by professional local photographers who will show the selected students how to apply and demonstrate standards of photographic practice including composition, color, black-and-white, and various elements and principles of design. This opportunity gives students real life experience that is applicable to future photography classes, skills needed in jobs/careers, inter and intra-personal skills, and a deeper connection to their local community. Applicants should demonstrate an interest in photography and engaging with other youth and the community to create photographic portraits.
The program will culminate with three exhibitions of the students’ work: a gallery exhibition at the Center, large scale banners, and projected images in Old Town during the Bohemian Nights at New West Fest, August 20-22, 2010.
NOTE: ALL 13 to 18 year olds from Fort Collins and surrounding areas are eligible to submit portrait photographs for The Face of Fort Collins exhibition. Students do not have to participate in the two-week intensive to submit work for the exhibtion. To submit, please follow the directions in The Face of Fort Collins call for entries on our website: http://www.c4fap.org
IMPORTANT DATES:
All interested participants should fill out the application and submit images to the Center no later than Friday, May 7th, 2010.
A selection committee—comprised of Hamidah Glasgow, the Center’s Executive Director, and local photography teachers Jennifer Martin, Rick Ney, and Cree Bol—will announce the chosen participants on Wednesday, May 21, 2010.
The two-week intensive will take place 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday during the weeks of July 12-16 and 19-23, 2010.
The South Gallery Exhibition will be on display from August 6 to September 18, 2010 and the Public / Artists’
Reception will be held on August 14, 2010 from 2-5 pm.
QUESTIONS?
Website: http://www.c4fap.org
Email: exhibitions@c4fap.org
Phone: 970.224.1010
The Face of Fort Collins program is made possible by a grant from the Bohemian Foundation.
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