VoxPhotographs Weblog

Mary Harding, longtime Director at the George Marshall Store Gallery in York, has curated her first photography exhibit and it’s a terrific viewing experience. (disclosure: Mary Woodman, exclusively represented by VoxPhotographs is one of the participating artists.)

There are 36 artists included in the show and that’s a feat in itself to pull it all together and stay sane, but I gather Mary Harding is an old hand at that. The end result makes the process look seamless.

Aroostook Song © John G. Kelley

My first impression of “PHOTOGRAPHY” was the WOW one. Walking in the front door on a sunny day, the gallery is full of reflected light and the show is so well presented it’s hard not to feel pretty delighted. I really appreciated two things – the variety of work styles, and the fact that Mary didn’t take the easy way out in selecting participating artists – there are many with whom I wasn’t familiar and should be, and the artists start as young as 17 years old, so she did her job and got digging, not skimming the obvious off the top. Yes, you’ll see work by Jeffrey Becton, John G. Kelley (you MUST see John’s photograph “Aroostook Song” in the bathroom -one of my favorites in the show!) and Sean Alonzo Harris, but I bet you’ll enjoy work by artists you don’t know yet as well.

I was immediately struck by two Corey Daniels images: one is on the right in the first room and the other beautifully “framed” by two doorways that lead into the back room. I e-mailed Corey and he has a website in progress, but here’s the image in the back room at George Marshall Store Gallery (note its size). I’m sorry no reproduction of these two images will do them justice. You have to go and see them in person to understand how successful they are:

Untitled II © 2000 Corey Daniels (44×34.5)

To your left in the front room is a huge image from Denise Froehlich – 4′x6′? I really like what Denise did with this and would love to see a group of her images similarly presented. I don’t see “Old Port Road, Kennebunkport” on her website, but sure had fun looking at everything else – some terrific work there.

Old Port Road, Kennebunkport © Denise Froehlich

A discovery is Nancy Wilson Fulton – she is doing some different things and her two images “Two, but not a pair” (very painterly when you see it at the gallery) and “Cloud Study” are strong testaments to her talent and eye.

Cloud  Study © 2008 Nancy Wilson Fulton

Two, but not a pair © 2009 Nancy Wilson Fulton

I first saw Elizabeth Cecil’s work this fall at Aarhus Gallery in Belfast – the Bug Jars (canning jars with gum bichromate images of bugs on vellum slips of paper inside) and they are again on display (perfectly) in a sunny window on the lower floor of the gallery. However, close by are four exquisite 4.25″x4.25″ “Tomatillo” printing-out-paper (POP), gold toned pieces. I would love to have these on my own walls. They are beautifully presented as a group of work.

Tomatillo #6 © Elizabeth Cecil

One of the best things in this show is Mary’s willingness to include young photographers who deserve the limelight. Elizabeth Ellenwood, a photography student at the New Hampshire Institute of Art has a couple of original urban landscapes on view that show a maturity and design sense that is unusual in a young artist. They are quite powerful.

Two of my favorite images in the show are by 17 year old Cameron Karosis. Check them out in the lower gallery room. I think they are beautifully rendered pieces and I hope he keeps working at his craft. (Cameron’s dad is also in the show with two beautifully rendered black and white landscapes…)

Coral Weed © Cameron Karosis

Sea Lettuce © Cameron Karosis

——

Before I reproduce the entire show in this posting I’ll talk about two more artists and button up.

I was delighted with Sara Gray‘s two square format images – have seen much of her commercial work in Down East magazine and elsewhere, and figured her work leaping across commercial photography lines in such a show as this could possibly be dismissed. Uh-uh. Take the time to read them closely – they’re gorgeous and well-deserving of the inclusion. I’m just surprised I haven’t seen more of her fine art photography work around.

Open Gate, Morristown, VT © Sara Gray

And finally, Jay Goldsmith’s two 10″x10″ pinhole platinum/palladium images are to die for. This type of work really gives me the ol’ “art endorphin rush” and the one below is perhaps my favorite image in the show. Jay is a commercial photographer who is making successful leaps over the fence into fine art photography by the looks of these images.

American Slide © Jay Goldsmith

The images reproduced in this review are a mere whisper of the real prints on the wall at the gallery. So treat yourself – GO. Tell Mary I sent you…