Comparative Figures Opening Night

Friday, September 20, 2013 friends and photography lovers gathered to see 39 nudes by Sam Wang and Bill McAllister.

Visitors at the Comparative Figures reception (c) R. Duvall

The printing style varies substantially from image to image. Some of McAllister's prints are contemporary pigment prints, others from his darkroom on gelatin-silver paper. Wang's prints take an alternate tack, showing brush strokes in the margins from his hand-coated platinum and platinum over cyanotype prints. Even with the variation of printing styles the images work together.

One of the best examples of stylistic differences in composition and printing comes from Wang's print of Photographer and Model, with one of the most fluid figures I've seen. McAllister, camera in action, is included on the right side of the composition, almost blending into the boulders used for background. On the wall directly to the right of Wang's platinum over cyanotype print is a smaller pigment print by McAllister. His photograph is of the model shown in Wang's image just mentioned - but with a completely different perspective. This is also a wonderful comparison of how two artists can work within feet of one another and come away with results so different as to suggest different time, different place.

Becky New, Sam Wang, Bill McAllister (c) R. Duvall

Comparative Figures will be on display through November 9, 2013. On November 15, 2013 the first Through This Lens Members Show will go on display. For more information about the Member's Show check out this page on the gallery web site: http://www.throughthislens.com/member-exhibition.html.