Thursday, August 12, 2010

Photos Graphein: A group Exhibition, at Vitale Art Studio

Rachel Doherty is a photographer who normally works with a 4x5 view camera and film. She is here from Columbia College in Chicago, which has one of my favorite museums devoted to photography: The Museum of Contemporary Photography. Rachel curated the Photos Graphein group photography show at Vitale Art Studio. Rachel put together a good show, and a great effort for a first-time curator.

We were there on August seventh, on opening night. A few stand-outs from our notes: Roman Black's "Gretel Lied to Hansel", a humorous revisionist version of the fairy tale set in a mythical landscape, well-integrated with the implied narrative.  Joe Traina brought out some exquisitely printed, haunting, mysterious nudes posed in forest settings. Elizabeth Vanderhayden's colorful tattooed subjects on a dense black background. Heather Sweet's 'Dark Path', an intriguing, mostly monochromatic night time, available-light color photo. Jacqie Holder's facial close-ups. The girl with the lollipop, in particular. Stephanie Norcross' small near-abstract diptychs also caught our eye.  One large piece, or conglomerate of pieces, was over 90 Polaroid photos attached to narrow cork strips which rambled off into a figurative 'arms and legs'. It was an appropriately impromptu way to display Polaroid prints.

Kudos to Rachel for not requiring works to be framed, which usually entails great expense for the artist. Photos ranged from framed, to unframed, and unmounted, with some held only by butterfly clips.


--- Luis & Malcolm

Ps. Photos Graphein: A Group Exhibition opened on August Seventh, we do not have a closing date for this, but it should be running until maybe August 20th. Vitale At Studio, 651 Central Ave. St Petersburg, 727.520.0969

No comments:

Post a Comment