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If you are unable to visit our gallery and would like to purchase photographs from this preview or others in the gallery, please contact the gallery and call 585-271-2540.

 

Peter's Picks of the Month

September 9- October 4,2009

Rochester Mosaic
 Sheridan Vincent 

Peter Marr picked his favorite photos of the show
by the featured and guest photographers and also describes the strength of the images he has chosen.


 
                                                                                                                                                                            

All images copyright by the individual photographers

 

Fox Hunting by Joe Woody
Fox Hunting 2 by Joe Woody
Fox Hunting 3 by Joe Woody

Fox Hunting
by Joe Woody

In a series of excellent nature photographs by Joe Woody in the East Gallery, I chose the collage of the red fox hunting to comment further on, because it not only impressively illustrates the harsh and fragile competition for survival in nature, it is also a great tribute to the hard work and tenacity of the author in recording such a striking sequence.  In the wild, where successful hunting for prey is absolutely critical for survival, the acute sensory organs of hearing and smell of the red fox are dramatically recorded here, resulting in a successful outcome for the fox.  The central image is just priceless, in showing the “attacker” driving his body vertically into the snow to capture the unfortunate quarry.  This series of images is virtually impossible to plan, and are not the result of just being in the right place at the right time.  Nature photographers have to blend with the environment, like a fish in water, and this collage, as well as Joe’s other first rate images, are a great tribute to his knowledge, patience and alertness in recording these precious moments in nature.

 

F15E Strike Eagle by Don Race
Kayaker by Don Race 

 

F15E Strike Eagle and Kayaker
by Donald Race

 Of the superb images by Donald Race, exquisitely photographed, framed and presented, I wanted to comment on two of them, because although they both capture peak action that is frozen in time, they also convey quite different cerebral sensations.  The stellar image of the Strike Eagle is just an amazing print, an impressive tribute to the author’s technical and artistic skills. The F15E, flying low and at high speed at the air show has been photographically captured in high detail, just as though it were sitting on the ground.  Cerebrally, however and this is by no means a criticism of this incredible shot,, the more one looks at the image, tranquility takes over, resulting in the plane seemingly floating in the sky, a spacecraft in orbit for all to admire. 

 Contrast this with the Kayaker, an excellent image caught in peak action, as the racer uses all his strength and skill to battle the raging white-water.  Here, as with the F15E, everything is frozen in time and almost every element in the picture is impressively clear, sharp and detailed.  Although the kayaker is moving at only a fraction of the speed of the airplane, the exhilaration of motion, strength, concentration and speed are all dramatically evident.  We feel at one with this racer fighting the elements, and we truly experience danger and the high level of technique required to battle the raging water.  Cerebrally, instead of tranquility and peace that we embrace with the Strike Eagle, our mind speeds up the sensation of speed as the kayaker fights to control his small craft in a sea of seething water.  These are two truly outstanding images.

 

 

 

  

Hamamatsu by Hart
Hamamatsu by Roger Hart
Hamamatsu by Mills
Hamamatsu by Junko Mills
Puerto Plata by Chris Luft
Puerta Plata by Chris Luft

 

International Sister Cities
of Rochester

As part of the dynamic exchanges between Rochester and its eleven sister cities, the panel of prints in the exhibition show images from ten of them. Particularly fascinating are the two images of the annual Hamamatsu Kite Festival, which truly captures the spirit, rivalry and enthusiasm of this three day event. These pictures show the citizens from various locales of Hamamatsu proudly displaying multicolored flags, and wearing tunics that have sashes of printed script depicting the different areas of the city. Although I am sure that the rivalry is friendly, you can almost hear in these peaceful times the “Banzai” or war cry coming from this fervently excited crowd.  These are scenes not of organized chaos but of people that are intensely proud of tradition, eagerly awaiting three days of historic competition.   

In contrast to these exuberant displays, it is fitting to comment on one of the other images that display a more poignant portrait of one of the other sister cities, namely a scene shot in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.  This expressive print sensitively captures the emotion, poverty and non-glamorous life in this part of the world. It is sad to see the colorful shacks and dilapidated conditions captured so movingly in this excellent photograph.  Particularly telling is the man with the machete who has just “pruned” the lone tree in the image, carrying the branches in his arm, no doubt to provide needed fuel for his family fire.  This is a very touching image, and one truly hopes that with the help of the Sister Cities International Network, there will be municipal, cultural and especially economic help for all of the sister cities, particularly for Puerto Plata.

 

ORorke Bridge at Dusk by Vincent   

Rochester Mosaic
by Sheridan Vincent

There are not enough superlatives to describe this outstanding exhibition. In past reviews in this gallery, I have used such words as incomparable, matchless, scintillating, quintessential etc, but for this unsurpassed show, I have run out of adjectives, so I will have to get a new dictionary. This will surely be a month to celebrate Rochester, and I hope everyone from far and wide in this great city will visit the gallery. With this exhibition, they will get an incredible appreciation of the grandeur and beauty of Rochester that very few have seen or taken in, with gracious thanks to Sheridan, whose artistic vision and consummate photographic talents have given us an exhibition par excellence.  Ansel Adams and John Sexton have stated that the greatest photographic opportunities are within a few miles of where you live- easy for them to say when Ansel resided in Yosemite National Park, and John lives in Mount Carmel bordering Point Lobos. Now, after seeing these outstanding prints of Rochester, I now can believe them.

These stellar images are an example of the power of the photograph to produce a communicable meaning.  We must look at them with enough attention to discover in them what has never been seen before.  The exhibition emphasizes the ability of photography to communicate, and the sheer pleasure that the communication of a new perspective gives.  Viewers need to liberate their vision and reawaken their sense of wonder and intuitive awareness.  It has been said that looking is a gift, but seeing is a power. The eye that is penetrating sees clearly, and the understanding that is penetrating has virtue. Another way of saying this is comparable to a Taostic statement, namely, “The bells and stones have voices but, unless they are struck, they will not sound”.

I hope that everyone who visits this exciting and definitive exhibition will take the time to look, to see, to envision and to wonder at the power and beauty of a city that no one else has come close to capturing photographically so exquisitely as Sheridan has.  You might ask, what are my favorite images, what are “Peter’s Picks?” The answer is that I love them all.  Sheridan has given us a wonderful mosaic assemblage. Rochester should be proud to have such a talented artist who has given so much of his time to give us images the likes of which we have only dreamt of.

   
 
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