There are two groups we can easily place photographers into, those who photograph the world as they see it and those that make the world over into their vision of it. Ward Russell has spent a lifetime working in both of them. His work as a cinematographer is recognized and acclaimed; he photographed Days of Thunder, The Last Boy Scout andX-Files the Movie,working with crews of hundreds to craft every element of what appeared on the screen. Then he walked away from the money and prestige of Hollywood to pursue a quieter path, taking pictures one frame at a time, seeing what there was in the world and capturing it without assistants or crews. We call both of these things photography although they can’t be more different.
Then there is the gallery. To open a gallery is an act of faith, a photo gallery even more so, and one that only shows the work of a single artist almost unheard of. Ward took that leap of faith ten years ago, and he has persevered, shooting new work, mounting new shows, and forging his path as an artist through times of uncertainty and sometimes indifference while growing a loyal clientele. To me, this is an excellent measure of an artist, to show up, to do the work every day, even when you can’t know the outcome, and to put your vision on the line. By doing that year in, year out, Ward’s work has appeared in thirty-plus shows in a variety of galleries, and he’s picked up a shelf of awards for the work he’s done. There’s also a book, Images of Inquiry. Over time, it all adds up.
An essential difference between the worlds of the cinematographer and the fine art still photographer is that the cinematographer always works for others and knows who they are. If you please the producer, the director, and maybe the star you work again. To make pictures for yourself, and only then offer them to others is a very different thing. Setting out on this course tests your confidence, your beliefs, and your resolve while working in a lonely place. To double down by opening a gallery and expecting you will sell your pictures to strangers’ year after year is faith of an even higher order. Why? Because there are literally billions of pictures now, making any single one of them a tiny mote in the universe of images. In this world, Ward makes pictures to satisfy his passion, and only then offers them to others. He doesn’t get rich doing it. The economics of the gallery world, not just Wards place tells us that most are in it because they care about pictures more than good business sense might suggest. Here’s what Ward says about that “Sometimes I have to use the good living I made in the motion picture world to support my passion for the fine art world. I can’t walk a block without seeing something that I just have to have a picture of”.
So, enough about Ward for a moment, let’s talk about his pictures. Start with, Photo Anthrozoology, his portfolio of animals living in the middle of the world of people. Sometimes challenging, sometimes arresting, they show us animals as they are rarely seen, how they look when they are in our world, and what an unlikely sight that is. Or look at Santa Fe Nights, his mysterious images of black and white streets and buildings. In this series, cars and people become streaks, ghosts moving through the night mainly unseen. The buildings glow in the night released from their daytime purpose. Or Waterscapes, beaches and streams, and the life that collects around places where water moves. There is much to see here and much to like.
On July 5th, the Ward Russell Gallery opened a year-long show with a sampling from ten years of his work, 80 pictures from his catalog on display. For a photographer who lives to capture the image, showing this body of work is an important moment in his life. For the viewer, this is an excellent moment to take in the breadth of Ward Russell’s career and see some of the beautiful pictures he has made along the way.
Andy Romanoff
Ward Russell : The Show Goes On
Running until January 4, 2020
Ward Russell Gallery
102 W. San Francisco St. #10
Santa Fe New Mexico, 87501
Story by Andy Romanoff
writing https://medium.com/stories-ive-been-meaning-to-tell-you
photography https://andyromanoff.zenfolio.com/
