Home through the Eyes of 7 Image City Partners

During the winter, when Gil Maker thought about a theme for his June 2024 show, he decided to focus on the idea of “Home.”  He says, “I do not like shooting in the cold, so I don’t go out much during the winter months.  To keep me busy, I started to photograph my house.”  His images depict rooms, items and anything in his home that caught his attention.  Since Gil enjoys reading, and he likes to show off his book collection, one of his favorite images that he captured is his photo entitled Books. 

Gil points out that the theme of Home can have a variety of meanings to each person. He says his images are just one of the many interpretations of what a home can represent.  Gil invited the other Image City Gallery Partners to join him in his featured show.  When the 6 interested partners asked him to explain what his thoughts were regarding the theme, he gave them complete flexibility to interpret it in whatever way they saw fit.  Each partner ended up with an interpretation based on individual unique interests. 

Because plants are an integral part of­ “home,” John Solberg chose their house plants to become the subject of his display.  They are cared for with love by his wife Louise.  There is a mixture of plants in their home, some they’ve had for many years, and new plants that have been added to their collection along the way.  John has used a minimalist approach while photographing and printing his collection, using only a plain white background that allows each plant to stand on its own. Two of John’s photos are of Peace Lilies.  He says “one of them displays the simple beauty at the peak of life; the other has passed its prime, but remains beautiful in its own way. Its flower seems to be pointing towards something, and we can only wonder about what it is.”  When he spotted these two beauties against a bright sheer living room curtain, they became the first two images in his collection. “It was their simplicity, the long stem, the beautiful cup-shaped flower. It was a ‘wow’.”   After that it was easy to pick candidates from among their other plants.  John hopes that when viewers see his images, they might take the opportunity “to take a moment to look and appreciate just one thing.”

Like John and Gil, Luann Pero focused on the interior of homes.  She decided “to paint a picture of a sanctuary of welcoming warmth and comfort.”  Luann says that when she saw “a small room enveloped in filtered sunlight, along with the colors of the room playing on the gauzy fabric of curtains,” she was enticed to photograph her “Window Curtain” images.  She also chose two stained glass lamps to photograph.  She said she “can envision sitting beside one of these lamps in an easy chair, reading a book in its soft warm glow.”  Luann hopes viewers can feel a sense of the belonging, warmth and comfort in her images as they relate to the theme of Home, and that her images “convey this calm, elegant atmosphere.”

When choosing her subject, Marie Costanza, decided to step outside of her home and stroll through her backyard. Marie enjoys taking photos of the birds that nestle near her home, so she decided “to focus on some of the birds who have made their home at my home.” She says, “Each image tells a unique story of survival, adaptability and the innate drive to create a space called home.”  She says spring offers a glimpse into the frantic activity of nest construction and the gathering of seeds to feed the babies.  Summer illuminates with the bustling demands of fledglings as well as the way the various birds adapt to her backyard environment, where they enjoy relaxing in their “sauna,” dining at the “Mosaic Inn,” or going for a swim in their “water hole.”  Some simply enjoy hanging out, like a female Baltimore Oriole, who was hoping to catch a glimpse of the Rochester eclipse!  Marie says that the images in her display are “a celebration of the unseen lives happening right outside our windows.” Also, it is a tribute to the diversity of avian life and an invitation to slow down and appreciate the natural wonders that surround us, encouraging a deeper connection with nature’s marvels that flourish in our own backyards. 

Don Menges took a different approach to the theme.  He says that his photos explore the idea that “homes can have different visual interpretations.  Some are elaborate, some are beaten, and some are just humorous.”  Don’s favorite image in his collection is called The Box.  It was taken several years ago when his granddaughter was playing and crawling out of a cardboard box.  He says that to her it was a home, and it reminds him “of the innocence of children.”  Don points out “It is a nostalgic photo and reminds me that each of us were in that very same box, albeit many years ago.”

Steve Levinson chose an artistic concept using mansions as the subject of his photos. He says “There is a saying that every man’s home is his castle, and sometimes a castle is actually a home!” The photographs Steve chose for his display are from the Biltmore Mansion and the George Eastman home. For the Eastman mansion photographs, Steve says, “I tried to capture its majesty with a slightly surrealistic twist, using a distorted fisheye lens.” Steve points out that both locations provide an example of how the owner’s wealth created an amazing home, which is so different from the “average” home in which most of us live.  These owners used almost unlimited funds to create a place to live and for entertainment. 

On the other hand, Betsy Phillips took an opposite view from Steve when photographing her Home subjects.  She says, “My images are about what the experience of home is for many of the less fortunate, and how each image conveys the mood of those living there, either by its unexpected vibrancy or by the reality of the residents’ poverty.  Betsy’s image entitled Te Amo (I love you) includes this message scratched into the bright blue painted exterior.  Betsy explains “a small dog awaits on the front steps, hats are hung on the door, toys are strewn about and clean-up tools are at the ready—just like any other home, despite the fact that poverty is clearly evident.”  The lights and the bright blue give the sense that life is celebrated here.  Betsy hopes that when viewers see her images, they will realize that “home is not always warm and fuzzy, like the classic Norman Rockwell portrayal, but that there can be a certain beauty in the most ordinary of spaces.” 

The concept of “home” resonates differently within each heart. The Home photography exhibit is a testament to the idea that while our definitions of home may differ vastly, the emotional tethering to a place we belong is universally inherent. Through the lens of some of the Image City Partners, visitors are invited into kitchens, living rooms, backyards and other personal spaces that hold the essence of everyday life. Through each photograph, we invite visitors to ponder “What does home mean to you?” It’s a question that yields infinite answers and yet brings us all closer.    In the comment box below please tell us, or upload an image, that shows what home means to you.

The Home exhibit is on display at Image City Photography Gallery, 722 University Avenue, from June 11-July 7.