Illuminate, to supply or brighten with light; to make lucid; throw light on a subject; to decorate with lights; to enlighten; to make resplendent or illustrious; to decorate a manuscript with gold or silver.
The act of illumination, since it’s introduction in the 15th century, has influenced our way of seeing and subsequently the world throughout the ages; and so, keeping the definition of ILLUMINATE posted on my computer screen, I set out on an adventure to journey through the fine work submitted along this theme to The Center for Fine Art Photography back in August. There were many images documenting the real world, others imagining a world far away from this one, inspiring us to imagine places we have never been, or situations we’ve never experienced before this visual moment.
A photograph primarily conveys a static image, although by playing with contrast and depth of field, we may focus more precisely on a certain object. To bring voice to an image is not a precise physical quantity which can be measured – rather it is the sum of many often complex operations that arrive as an expression of a photograph – this is how I juried ILLUMINATE. In this international call for entries, there was no precise quality I was looking for. I was not looking for truth, but something more elusive, ethereal, untouchable. I was looking for personal themes, universal themes, complex or dramatic scenes. I wanted to experience quiet moments just to reflect on the beauty of the subject matter, the technique or simply the tonalities of light and shadow.
Sheri Lynn Behr received First Place for her photograph “021-New York,” from her series, “Watching You” about her interest in surveillance and privacy. Behr writes, “With a concern about government intrusion into our personal lives, I continue to find ways to photograph aspects of the gray area that is surveillance in our modern age. I came to realize while I was making photographs, I was being photographed as well.”
Honorable Mentions were awarded to photographers Guanyu Xu, Rebecca Moseman, Ellen Jantzen and Nadezda Nikolova-Kratzer. I chose Guanyu Xu for his photograph “Mirror,” part of his series, “One Land To Another.” He was also chosen as Directors Honorable Mention by C4FAP’s executive director, Hamidah Glasgow. “Born and raised in a conservative family in Beijing, I use self-portraiture of my death to confront the struggle between being both a homosexual and a homophobic person.” Rebecca Moseman was selected for her photograph “Alex’s Chest ” from her series, “The Summer of Flying Lanterns.” “My boys have always played an important role in my photography. Their innocence, innate boyhood, relationship to nature, slow process of maturing have always fascinated me.” Ellen Jantzen was chosen for her photograph “In The Cold Light of Night,” part of her 2015 series, “Unity of Time and Place.” Jantzen writes, “Some say, all time exists at once; the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future are regarded as a whole.” I chose Nadezda Nikolova-Kratzer for her evocative photograph “Cicada II,” also chosen as Director’s Selection. “In making art, I seek to peer beyond the surface while embracing mystery – to open doors to forgotten memories; to glean that which is ethereal and distant yet magnetic and strangely familiar”. Director Hamidah Glasgow’s Honorable Mentions also include Brenda Biondo, “Slide & Clouds,” and Susan Guice, “Woman and Ball.”
The Center for Fine Art Photography was founded by photographers in 2004. It is a nonprofit photography organization providing support to photographic artists through exhibition, solo exhibition, promotion, portfolio reviews, publication, education and connection to a large community of other artists, curators, gallery owners and photographic professionals. They are always free and open to the public.
EXHIBITION
“Illuminate” with Juror Elizabeth Avedon
December 4, 2015 – January 16, 2016
The Center For Fine Art Photography
400 North College Avenue
Fort Collins, Colorado
USA
http://www.c4fap.org/exhibitions/illuminate-elizabeth-avedon
http://www.sherilynnbehr.com
http://www.ellenjantzen.com
http://nadezdanikolova.com/night
http://www.xuguanyu.com/onelandtoanother
https://www.lensculture.com/rebecca-moseman
http://www.brendabiondo.com
http://www.susanguice.com
