Seeing Beyond: Abstracts in Photography will feature the abstract art photography of six area artists: Mark Jones, Susan Lord Bovey, Anne Miller, Susan Raines, Meg Sloss, and Kent Smith. The show opens July 7 at YoloArts’ Gallery 625 in Woodland.
“Many of the images in this exhibition include colorful details of everyday subjects, and fascinating abstractions of urban and rural landscapes,” stated Janice Purnell, YoloArts associate director and the show’s curator. “Abstract photography offers an opportunity for the viewer to be drawn toward an up close and intimate experience with the artistic details of a scene or object that might otherwise be overlooked.”
While some of the artists in the show began their photography work with 35mm film developed in actual darkrooms, each of them now works in a “digital darkroom” developing images captured with digital cameras, and using computers and software tools instead of film processed with tools and chemicals.
The exhibiting artists are from Davis, Woodland, and Rancho Cordova.
Excerpts from the artist statements:
Anne Miller
A former music teacher and flutist living in Davis, Miller takes inspiration in botanical subjects.
“They intrigue me because of their wealth of interesting surfaces and colors, yet I’m also attracted to junk and often find inspiration at the dump or at sites full of rusty machinery. Repeated patterns, reflections, and architectural geometry catch my eye.”
Susan Raines
A former writer with a B.A. in English, Raines is an artist from Rancho Cordova using her photographs as elements of her mixed media art works.
“My mixed media work may include my photographs, paint and found objects such as pebbles, glitter, charms, chains, and anything that will work in the image and medium. My mixed media may contain a variety of photos, such as a flower collage with 50 different photographs, or as little as one photo or none.”
Meg Sloss
An artist from Davis, Sloss uses a Canon SX 50 power shot with an image stabilizer to capture her images.
“With camera in hand, I begin to ‘hunt’ for urban decay, rusty pickups, broken windows, dumpsters, oxidized automobiles, scratches, box cars. I take the creative process to my computer and discover the mysteries that lie hidden in their depths. I flip and turn, adjust light and crop, always giving a lot of attention to composition.”
Kent Smith
A Woodland artist, Smith is experienced working with a variety of different art media.
“I constantly look for the beauty surrounding us every day and have been working with all types of art materials since I was 12. With the development of computers, I found a new medium that was a perfect match. I find new possibilities and exciting areas as an artist with almost every new program learned. I began to understand that computers could also mimic materials, textures, natural lighting, and airflow.”
Mark Jones
An attorney retired as director from the Yolo County Department of Child Support Services, Jones has also worked as a car mechanic and has been a lifelong photography buff. He is a part of the Jones Visual Arts Group and produces photography and videography.
“I use Canon and Panasonic Digital cameras and a DJI Phantom Professional flying camera (a drone).”
Susan Lord Bovey
A Woodland real estate agent and artist, Bovey began photographing in the 1980’s and took photography and darkroom classes at the local junior college.In the early 2000’s she made the transition to digital photography. She uses Lightroom software almost exclusively.
“Seeing everything in life as art makes me grateful for this vision to see beauty, even in everyday scenes. It is my hope and purpose to capture these scenes and share them with others to enjoy…I love the ability to work darkroom magic with computer photo processing.”
Seeing Beyond: Abstracts in Photography opens July 7 and continues through August 1. A meet the artists reception is planned for 5:30 – 8 p.m. Friday, July 7, during the downtown Woodland First Friday Art Walk. Eric Raubach will perform acoustic guitar music during the reception, hosted by YoloArts’ board member Chris Dreith.
Gallery 625 is located at 625 Court Street in Woodland, in Yolo County’s Erwin Meier Administration building and is open Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., and by appointment. For more information contact YoloArts at 530-309-6464.