In the bustling world of photography, Image City’s current exhibition, On the Edge of Abstract, invites viewers on an evocative journey, where the realms of the tangible and the conceptual blur. Don Menges, the coordinator of this show, says his hope is “to demonstrate how several photographers interpret the same concept.” Abstract photography often defies the traditional expectations of capturing the visible world, instead focusing on form, color, texture and pattern. On the Edge of Abstract pushes this notion further, exploring the delicate balance where the abstract intersects with the recognizable. The exhibit showcases Image City partners who navigate this frontier, offering viewers a diverse exploration of abstraction.
When Don was thinking about a theme for this show, he recalled that partners have collaborated on several themes over the past few years. He says, “It’s interesting to our visitors to see how multiple photographers interpret the same concept. I wanted to come up with something that would challenge the participants differently. I’ve been experimenting with introducing analog effects into my photographs, which often creates an abstract image. I thought it would be fun.”
Throughout the past several months Don has been working with floral photographs with an analog effect. For this show, he says, “Since architectural subjects are more palatable to me, I decided to switch subjects and see how that would work. I have also spent several years making only Black and White images, so that too became an analog challenge.”
Don is particularly proud of two of his images that are in this exhibit. One is a Black and White photo, Broken Fan, which is totally untouched by the process he has been studying. “It’s a ‘pure’ abstract image that I thought I composed well.” He explains that the other is a color photograph entitled ROC History, which is of wall art on a building on Mt. Hope Avenue. He says “there was nothing new added to this; it is simply a composite of multiple exposures.”
Sheridan Vincent, decided to display several unique colorful floral images. He says “perhaps the category of abstract can be applied to an image that looks unusual”. Sheridan explains, “After I cut a couple of Calla Lily blossoms and looked down on them, I saw what became Calla Watching after a bit of staging.” He says that by adding a black background, he was able to focus the attention on the “floral eyes,” surrounded by yellow, with the pleasant curves of the blossom.
Luann Pero, also chose to include some images with vibrant colors. She explains that her image entitled Orange and Blue, along with some of the other images in her display, “came from a boat yard, littered with abandoned boats with hull structures, paint and fiberglass breaking down into relics of the large boats that had once sailed the waters of Lake Ontario.” Luann says, “I was intrigued by the colors and geometric forms of the discoloration, delamination, warping, and blistering of the fiberglass, wood, and paint on the hulls. Bold abstract images came alive before my eyes in colors of blues, yellows, purples, and greens. My imagination was charged by these once beauties, decaying on the cradles.”
John Solberg was also intrigued with the colors he discovered when he explored the outdoors for his photographs, which were taken of very small sections of the walls under the Winton Road bridge near University Avenue. John says, “At first, they were interesting only because of their textures and patterns. As I played around with them, to my surprise and delight, I discovered hidden color, coaxed out by exploring saturation.” John explains that the images become more than a collection of colors, patterns and textures – they trigger the imagination to “make meaning” out of abstraction. John says that he is especially proud of his photo called Nature’s Graffiti #1 because “in my imagination it is no longer a small patch of wall but a grand exploding volcano.” As visitors view his image, he wonders, “What can you imagine?”
Steve Levinson, took a different approach from Sheridan, Luann, and John. One of the images he decided to include, Give Me Five, includes a hand as the subject. He hopes that when viewing this photo, visitors will take the time to discover what is in it. Steve points out that “hands have always been an intriguing subject for photographers because there is so much emotion that can be transmitted by a hand gesture.” His photo combines the impact of looking at a palm with the added feature of a face, not noticeable at first, but it leads the viewer to think about the intentions Steve had when he created this composite image. He says, “It is clearly not peaceful or beautiful, but has been designed to have an emotional impact on the viewer, who might be wondering what is Steve thinking?”
Like some of the other artists in this show, Gil Maker included a variety of black and white images with interesting shapes in his display. For his photo entitled Abstract #5, he was particularly attracted to the two simple shapes: a straight line and a circle. He was also drawn to the minimalist quality of the subject.
Don’s hope with this type of show always is to demonstrate how several photographers interpret the same concept. He says “I like viewers to understand that not everyone sees visual art the same way, even when the style is fixed.” The title of the show On the Edge of Abstract, gave each of the participants a little room for a loose interpretation of abstract art.”
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One response to “On the Edge of Abstract”
Thank you for this write-up, Marie! I enjoyed the exhibit very much but the day I was there, I could only talk to Sheridan about his work. This gave me a context behind the work of all other partners participating in the show!