PHOTOGRAPHERS Impressionist vs Realist where do you stand?

Pictorialist Anne Brigmann 1930

It's Thanksgiving weekend in the states that means excess of : family, food, friends and conversation. If you have holiday visitors in town and you need a change of scenery take a tour of the Portland art district , walk off a yam or two and see some art.

 One of the central debates in all art is Impressionism vs Realism; which is better, which do you like? There are two excellent shows that feature the use of the camera and offer up a buffet of potential controversy for you art gourmands.
    The VOX  Photographs gallery has a Public exhibit in the Portland Library's Lewis gallery.  This exhibit displays some of the best in Photo artistic talent that the state of Maine can offer and the PMA's show Debating  Modern Photography is a recap of the Impressionist vs Realist battle royal that ragged in the 1930's and in some, still rages today.

f/64 Artist Ed Weston's Cypress 1932

It was in the 1930's that a group of rabble rousing photographers openly questioned there own as to the future of Photo Art. Historically prior to the 30's it was the pictorialist photographers that ruled the day,  they are the photographers that by intention worked photo images to a more fuzzy impressionistic painterly style.  It was leading photo pictorialist William Mortensen that stated: "The business of  a work of art (insert word photograph) is to make an effect, not report a fact".    In come the "f/64" photo renegades, the f/64 is after the camera's small aperture which produced greater depth of field and more detail. It was photographers: Ansel Adams, William Van Dyke & Edward Weston that shook the Photo Art status quo.  Together they created a manifesto that was a call to action for photographers to embrace the new future and focus their photo art on the capability of the camera to capture detail.  The Portland Museum of Art's show Debating Modern Photography the triumph of group f/64 is perhaps one of the best exhibits I have seen of both schools. The exhibit is so complete and extensive that it asks a question and has your answer before you know it; Are you a "Pictorialist" or Realist sympathizer?

Abigail Wellmen VOX Photographs

After viewing the f/64  Debating Modern Photography show at PMA you are ready for the VOX Photographs exhibit at Portland Library's Lewis Gallery.  The Lewis is huge, with a high ceiling bathed in light,  it is a fantastic venue to view the fine art Photography of the 11 VOX photo artists.   Let it be said: talent, technique, composition and darn good timing are skills all the VOX photographers possess, where they differ is in subject matter & presentation.   My Favorite pieces of the exhibit are steeped in color but that is all they have in common.   Abigail Wellman's work Holiday Inn is like jumping into the twilight zone, that somewhere between sight and sound...  Also bold in color, strong in composition and precise in timing  is Mark Rockwood's Pool table lightning bright neon flash with out florescent noble gas, how did he do that? It is a stunning piece that begets more questions; How many beers? How many years? How many games of pool had Rockwood played in that bar on that pool table until that exact moment came?  Those are just two of 48 photographs in this exhibit from the VOX artists it is refreshingly modern exhibit compared to PMA show..
Pictorialist or Realist or both what moves you?  The debate continues on....

Mark Rockwood Pool Table Lightning VOX Photographs

 Debating Modern Photography   is in it's last week and the final day is Dec 5th, don't forget the PMA is open every Friday evening 5-8pm for free courtesy of grant from LL Bean.
The VOX show in the Lewis Gallery continues through Dec 31st for hours & Directions click Portland Library   

Why go see the efforts of the
VOX Photographers and The PMA show Debating Modern Photography

Go because your good mind needs good art!

The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the WMPG Radio listening community.  The blog is the text version of the art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on WMPG college and community radio
Broadcasting from the University of Southern Maine
90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/

Note: Images from VOX photo Artists are supplied courtesy of VOX Photographs and are available for purchase through there web site. For more info e-mail VOXPHOTOGRAPHS.COM