24 Exposures
Photographers haven't had many places to exhibit in NYC. While a taste for the merely unusual and sensational perpetuates a plateau level of mediocrity at the MoMA and the occasional uptown gallery only shows "names," photography remains underappreciated as an art form by too many people.
Photography is not merely a keyhole for the voyeur or an informative peek at an unusual scene or person. In the hands of an artist constantly attuned to his/her surroundings and sharp enough to know when they and the scene are in focus with each other, the photos they produce can be a celebration of the ordinary moment we would have taken for granted or a fast grab at a transitory moment wherein the elements are working in such a way that we're lucky the camera was there to frame it.
The Union Square Gallery, an artist-run space, has, for the last several years, been exhibiting some of the best photographers around. This current artists' choice show, which annually brings together 24 contemporary photographers, points out the broader and subtle possibilities of the medium. It gives us the opportunity to see work that extends beyond our TV- and media-deadened expectations. It's united by the artists' common desire to share a personal vision and to explore the compassionate perspectives of particulars.
Mel Adelglass's shot of a few aging, abandoned cars in a wood ensnares the spooky silence ruins can bring to a living peace; Tom Eckerle's early morning framing of fishermen transferring a catch from net to truck, while the waves break into shore and the gulls are busy overhead, conveys the relationship of salt, sweat and wet sea air these men are laboring in; John Kennard's super-real epic shot of a night baseball game is clicked just as the pitch is released so pitcher and batter are in a blur surrounded by the sad immensity of a hardly filled stadium and the omniscient void of the dark American night; the subject of Louis Stettner's nude portrait, staring into the lens as if across eternity, sets up a gentle psychological confrontation that, like the patches of sunlight that adorn her body, affects us like weather; Todd Weinstein's photo reveals a moment in the lobby of the Trump Tower when hellish flamelike effects, caused by intense sunlight reflecting off the golden marble walls, traps a woman in the echoing dimension of her own shopping frenzy; Fran Antmann immerses us in some mysterious room shrouded in the mist of steam and strenuous labor; Barry Kornbluh's grid assemblage of nine SX-70s is a theme and variation look out a window at the differing tones of day accenting the blues of the sky, passing clouds, and a soothing placement of flowers; Marilyn Stern's soft colors work to accommodate the pastel mood permeating a corner of a party she's snapped. The gap between the two revelers is exposed.
Jim Smith, Jerry Orabona, Sid Kaplan, Tom Jenkins, and Ron Terner also have outstanding shots in the show.
There are a number of weaker pictures here where it's plain that the mere framing of an object, scene, or person doesn't always elevate our perception or bring us any new awareness. A much bigger majority of the shots do work and make this a very strong show.
(Soho Arts Weekly, January 29, 1986)
Photos: top right: Mel Adelglas; bottom left: Barry Kornbluh