‘Thoughts About Home’ from the Everyday Landscapes series is part of the ‘Abstraction’ is group exhibition hosted by PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont in the USA and curated by Janet Jeffers.
Juror’s Statement
I find abstraction to be one of the most deceptively complex genres of photographic art, so it was with great excitement but also a touch of nervousness that I accepted the invitation to serve as juror for this exhibition. It has been said with tongue in cheek, that if you look at a photograph and say, “What is it?” it’s an abstract photograph. But in a compelling abstract, the artist is going beyond mere unrecognizability into territory that evokes wonder and mystery. I think of abstraction as a form of invention – the artist is looking beyond the real and creating something new from what exists unseen in front of most people’s eyes. This requires vision and intention. In the most successful abstracts, the viewer is drawn by a spark, but photographs that go beyond the initial “wow” moment evoke an emotional connection and draw the viewer back in repeatedly. The magic of abstraction lies in a sense of discovery – by the artist and the viewer.
The submissions for this exhibition varied widely, from more straightforward “found” abstracts to complex, layered digital creations. Some images are pure abstracts; others employ abstract approaches while still retaining connections to reality. It is challenging but also inspiring to review such a disparate group of work. I sought images that display not only technical excellence and compelling composition, but also the more elusive qualities of mood, harmony, and illusion. Many of these selections drew me in upon repeated viewing, some with stimulating depth of texture, others with harmonious color and form, and still others with Zenlike minimalism.
The Juror’s Award selection, Jacqui Turner’s Between the Lines, a low-key monochromatic composition, immediately struck me with its organic forms and subtle positive/negative space relationships, and the connection drew stronger upon each successive viewing. The Director’s Award, Peter Jeschke’s Frost On My Window 1, is a striking detail of crystalline forms that reveals more subtle layers upon revisiting. I would happily add each of those prints to my collection.
Keeping in mind that this is a gallery exhibition and not a photo competition, I wanted the final selections to retain a point of view while reflecting the broadness of the category. I hope I have achieved that goal and that viewers enjoy the results.
Many thanks to PhotoPlace Gallery, and to all who submitted to “Abstraction.” I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to review such a varied and exciting collection of images.
