Gunther Cartwright New Work

This morning I received a note from Gunther Cartwright mentioning a recent show of his Industrial Blues series of photographs in Rochester, NY. At Gunther's encouragement I have updated and added to his page on the Through This Lens web site. Please take a look at http://throughthislens.com/cartwright.html to see a new image and updated information.

On another note, I have started a new blog called Dear Medici at http://dearmedici.blogspot.com/

The idea is to share opinions and ideas about the business of ART. Even though Through This Lens is a business, there are things that need discussing but would seem too off topic for this blog. Of course the opinions there may, or may not be my own - and should not be considered part of, or endorsed by Through This Lens.

Snow at Through This Lens

Continuing the odd weather pattern in the Triangle, Through This Lens was closed from about 1PM Wednesday through Friday afternoon because of snowy and icy roads. Bill Pope, a member and friend, send the attached photo of the gallery from across the street. Thanks Bill!

© 2014 Bill Pope

Linda Grant

I learned today that Linda Grant, a former employee and adviser, passed away on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. Linda had many years experience as picture framer, and shared that knowledge while working in our frame shop. Linda also spent much of her time with volunteer work in the community. I must note that she was such a good negotiator that her's is the only photography that I've ever show by an employee. I'm sure she would smile at me mentioning that. She will be missed by me, and other friends and family.

Through This Lens Workshop Reprise, February 7-9, 2014

We are excited to have the dynamic duo of Margo Taussig Pinkerton and Arnold “Arnie” Zann returning to Through This Lens for another weekend photo workshop.  Longtime professional photographers who enjoyed successful careers, they retired from commercial work and are now teaching photo workshops full time. 

We presented a solo exhibition of theirs last winter called The Ying and Yang of the Outer Banks that received a very complimentary, full-page review by Blue Greenberg, local art critic, at http://www.heraldsun.com/lifestyles/lifestylescolumnists/greenberg/x1733187702/Two-ways-of-looking-at-the-Outer-Banks

I attended a good portion of Margo and Arnie’s workshop last year and was really impressed.  As I wrote in one of my blogs:

© 2013 Margo Taussig Pinkerton

Photographers can be a hearty lot - Snow, freezing roads, slush, ice-cold rain - all pretty unpleasant stuff, but for the two workshops held at Through This Lens presented by Margo Taussig Pinkerton and Arnold Zann AKA Barefoot Contessa Photo Adventures - or Margo and Arnie as they are less formally known - the weather was barely a hindrance … In fact, Sunday, the students spent the morning at Duke Gardens shooting the frosty remnants of the snow and ice. After a couple of hours with their cameras, they returned to the gallery to edit and share their work during a compassionate but honest critique.

These were serious photo workshops and serious students. The presentations and activities were very well organized. The students came from as far away as Cincinnati. I've spent the past 20 years teaching various computer applications, yet I gained a lot from sitting in, between customers and other gallery duties. If you were not able to attend, please take a look at Margo and Arnie's web site and consider one of their workshops. You'll work hard, and be happy that you did.

So please join us for this fun weekend.  For more information, go to http://www.BCphotoadventures.com/ThroughThisLensPhotoWorkshop.php.

 

News Coverage of Comparative Figures

Blue Greenberg, in her Herald-Sun newspaper article, shares her opinions of the work by Sam Wang and Bill McAllister entitled Comparative Figures. You can read the text of her article at: http://www.heraldsun.com/lifestyles/x249848369/The-human-form-in-nature-s-landscape. Sadly, there are no illustrations in the on-line version - but that is easily remedied by visiting http://www.throughthislens.com.

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.

Jesse Andrews and Tom Rankin Speak

Sunday afternoon, September 15, both artist Jesse Andrews, and special guest Tom Rankin visited Through This Lens to talk about Mr. Andrews' work.

Tom Rankin and Jesse Andrews (c) 2013 Roylee Duvall

The black and white photographs will be off the walls on Wednesday, so you have just one more day to see them - on Tuesday, September 17. Not only are these photographs traditional gelatin-silver prints, and shot on film, Mr. Andrews claims not to own a digital camera. When an audience member asked why he chose to use film, Mrs. Andrews said that the speed of the digital process was in his eyes, a disadvantage.
He is known as a thinker - an artist who puts much effort into each image, both in selection and the laborious method of making lush dark prints in his darkroom. During his talk he mentioned his admiration for Bill Brandt. Later, when I asked if there were other influences he mentioned Paul Strand and W. Eugene Smith. Another question that came up during the talk: Why are there black borders around each image on his prints? Mr. Andrews answered that the marks indicate a completely unmodified image from the way it was composed and captured.

Many old-school photographers will recognize the technique of filing out the negative carrier so that when a negative is enlarged the black line represents part of the film without an image - thus it becomes a symbol and guarantee of honesty by the artist. In the digital world, no such option or tell-tale mark exists. Maybe there is still a place in the world of photography for film - even in the 21st century.