Invitational Photography Exhibition ... Includes 2 of My Images

Another Great Exhibition!

Multiple Exposures Gallery 

The Torpedo Factory Art Center • Alexandria, VA 

October 14th - November 23rd 2014 

What It's All About!

I have always wanted to share my experiences through photographs. Photographers can work a lifetime and never really know to what extent viewers connect with their personal vision.

Take a minute and read this email I recently received from Kara, a visitor to my studio in The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia ... I'm sincerely touched.

 

An Art Survey

Jay Leno, Bill Mahr and CNN have all at one time or another conducted surveys out in the street of typical Americans. They ask to name the Secretary of State, Vice President or the Governor of their home state. Much to my amazement, the vast majority of people surveyed don't have a clue ... AMAZING!

As most of the visitors to my Blog are aware, I have been a resident artist at The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia since 2001. We are a 76,000 square foot art center on the Potomac River right across from Washington, D.C. We are the major draw to historic Old Town Alexandria. We attract nearly 500,000 visitors from all over the U.S. and throughout the world.  I suppose it is safe to say that we are THE premiere art center in the U.S. and maybe worldwide.

Over the past few weeks I have been doing a little survey on my own. On a typical week I probably attract 100-150 individuals. I have been asking if they could name 5 famous photographers and or 5 famous artists ... sculptors, painters, etc. Out of nearly 100 very informal surveys, the predominate answer for "famous photographers" was Ansel Adams. Maybe 10% of the people knew specific photos, but not the name of the photographer. Maybe 50% knew of Annie Leibovitz. Names like Edward Weston, Richard Avedon, Sebastião Salgado, Keith Carter or Michael Kenna drew blanks. In fact, many visitors to my studio carry expensive cameras and claim to be photographers!

When it came to naming "famous artists," the overwhelming majority answered, Picasso, Van Gogh, DaVinci, Renoir, Rubens and Rembrandt. Most never heard of Willem de Kooning, Chuck Close, Richard Diebenkorn or Jackson Pollack or Damien Hirst for that matter.

What does this say about the public's knowledge of art? Do we only care about the Kim Kardashian, Beyonce and Duck Dynasty ... I guess so!   

Exhibits Under the Radar

@ The Federal Reserve Board

Every so often exhibits pop up that are totally under the radar. For whatever reason, these do not make the local news papers or get reviewed by art critics.

Earlier in the week I attended a luncheon and exhibit (Acquisitions: 2009-2011 & Arnold Newman: Famous Faces) at The United States Federal Reserve Board ... better known as "The Fed" or "The Federal Reserve Bank," a beautiful 1930s building at 20th & Constitution Avenue, NW. One of my images was acquired by "The Board" last year: U.S. Capitol from the Washington Sailing Marina.

Stephen Bennett Phillips is the curator and Fine Arts Program Director at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington. Prior to joining the Board, Stephen worked in the curatorial department at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. for almost 20 years. Stephen has written and lectured throughout the United States and has tremendous depth in his knowledge and love of fine art photography.

The Fine Arts Program at the Federal Reserve Board was established in 1975 by former Chairman Arthur F. Burns in response to a White House directive encouraging federal partnership with the arts.
Today, the Federal Reserve Board holds over 400 works of art donated by citizens and foundations. In his five short years at the Board, Stephen has substantially increased the the photographic collection. I am very proud to have my work included in their permanent collection.

The Board presents three exhibitions annually, which are displayed in the Eccles Building. Exhibitions are open to the public Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., except federal holidays. Reservations are required at least five business days in advance. For reservations and further information, please call 202.452.3778. Definitely worth checking out.

@ The Torpedo Factory Art Center
Studio 9

Another exhibit I have been asked to participate in that is due to open May 10th (with a reception from 6:00-8:00) at The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town Alexandria, VA is: Diverging Mediums: Photography vs. iPhoneography. 

 The aim of the exhibition (sponsored by The Torpedo Factory's Art in Public Spaces Program) is to raise questions on the nature of defining art in the context of today's technology and phenomenon of artistic democracy. The curator, Hiji Nam, is an undergraduate Art History major at the University of Maryland in College Park. Her belief is that the distinction between the craft and the art of photography lies in the context of the photographer's wider oeuvre, vision and intent. The artist should be able to justify, through their photos, why that particular moment, event, or mood was chosen to be captured and why, more than any other, was and is relevant.

According to Ms. Nam, "The exhibition will be a commentary on the modern tendency of viewing oneself so easily as a creator, which I see as extremely detrimental for the standards of individuals and of art itself. When everyone believes they, too, can be an “artist,” that not only takes away from the truly talented, but also from the goals and standards set by individuals who are content with being just as good as everyone else, which is mediocrity. This complacency has created an age of instant gratification, in a generation of young people obsessed with being heard, instead of listening. Yes, creation is important—but creation is relevant only when thought and consideration precedes it.

The show is an interesting comparison of what I call, "straight photography compared to iPhone photography." I have to say, I feel like a bit of an 'old fart" when my work is viewed in the context of all these hyper-creative images. Many of the iPhone pieces were done by individuals that primarily work in iPhone. It might be interesting to have an exhibition of iPhoneography produced by non iPhoneographers ... traditionalists like me! Bottom line, check out this exhibition ... you won't be disappointed.