With the simplicity of the ordinary, Emmet Gowin has redefined intimacy, to the point that even his topographical and entomological studies reveal his deep affection for the world, regardless of scale. His vision lights up his photographs. You can see its reflection in the eyes of his subjects, his wife Edith and his family, who show no modesty or restraint while being photographed.
Edith exposes her round breasts as well as her dreams. The children grow up with their games and their doubts. But the camera is not invisible. They are always aware of its presence, facing it, responding to it, without trying to control their image. The resulting portraits are sincere and modest, with patterns that are prominent but never overbearing. The compositions are delicate and subtle, never denying their subject. In the portrait of Edith where the shade of a flowering branch encircles the fine features of her face, the leaves imitating her almond-shaped eyes as the stems interlace with her hair, the pattern is not distracting. Rather, it intensifies her absorbed expression.
What is striking about this exhibition is how Gowin adapts his aesthetic approach to his aerial photographs of eroded earth. Nature seems fragile and mistreated by mankind. The distance allows the viewer to read in the overlapping ridges a voiceless call for help, as if carved into the earth. The photograph of Edith lit up by glowing butterflies is strangely reminiscent of the trenches of a Nevada mine. Gowin’s photography is a loving ode to his environment, which he observes attentively. It’s not surprising that he chose to shoot a detailed color inventory of butterflies, a symbol of life in the majority of cultures and eras.
Laurence Cornet
Emmet Gowin
Until July 27th, 2013
Jackson Fine Art
3115 East Shadowlawn Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30305
USA
Tél. : +1 404 233 3739
