Staley-Wise Gallery opens today a solo exhibition by Sheila Metzner.
Sheila Metzner’s photographs are unmistakable — totally original and extremely elegant. For over forty years, she has created a body of work that spans the genres of fashion, portraiture, still lifes, and landscapes. The painterly quality of Metzner’s photographs blends aspects of Mannerism and Modernism to forge a singular aesthetic that is closely associated with the best of fashion and decorative arts.
This exhibition presents photographs not previously exhibited in addition to works included in her recent retrospective at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Most of the photographs in this show are Fresson prints: a patented French process imparting sumptuous tonalities and textures, and a pivotal part of Metzner’s creative practice for decades. This exhibition at Staley-Wise Gallery captures an atmosphere of style and sophistication where Metzner’s subjects are brought to life with character, drama, and beauty.
