Griffin Museum of Photography

Maureen Richards Scholarship Exhibition

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Matt Granetz of Reading Memorial High School has been chosen to receive the $1,000 Maureen Richards Scholarship from the Griffin Museum of Photography

He will be presented the award at the opening reception of the 19th Juried Exhibition at the museum July 18, 7 p.m.

Grantetz was one of many students who submitted work to the portion of the juried exhibit for area high school seniors, Collected Visions. A selection of the work is on exhibit in the Griffin Gallery July 18 through September 1.

While there was no theme or format for submissions, students were asked to select an image that best represented them, personally and photographically. They also were asked to submit a companion essay answering the question, “what is the significance of using photography and how does it affect our lives?’’

The museum was looking for a well-written essay that provided personal perspectives and opposing points of view, as well as a well-produced photograph that can communicate the message strongly on its own.

The jurors were Greer Muldowney and Andrea Rosenthal.

"We were looking for different kinds of creativity and for students who used not only the process effectively but also were able to combine storytelling, strong visuals," Muldowney and Rosenthal said, adding that also they were looking for when permitting, a strong sense of humor.

They add, “We chose the winner based on how well it expressed the story behind the image, its technical merit, and originality.”

Granetz, winner of the Maureen Richards Scholarship, says of his image, "My photograph shows my connection to nature both physically and metaphorically. As a child I was always enthusiastic about going camping with my dad, canoeing, and fishing. At times like these I feel in touch with my surroundings. The photograph seems to show me floating over the ground. This is because I feel more free and at ease when I am in a natural setting, away from stresses of school, work, and other things."

"I enjoy taking self portrait photos, because there are so many different paths one can take. They can range from abstract ideas to very clear portraits showing texture and emotion. Black and white photos like this can emphasize light and shadow, and their effect on skin. It creates a very smooth shadow. Self portraits demonstrate who you are or who you want to be. This photo shows both sides of me."

Kathleen Volp gives a gallery talk about her exhibit The Melon Series – which is in the Atelier Gallery — for museum members at 6:15 p.m. July 18, prior to the opening reception for all exhibits.

Kathleen Volp The Melon Series

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Kathleen Volp says exploring materials is an essential part of her art making.

It is “something I inherited from my father, a contractor who loved to incorporate unusual materials into ordinary projects and elevate ordinary materials through imaginative techniques,” she explains.

In this case, the material is a cantaloupe.

A collection of her photographs, The Melon Series, is featured in the Atelier Gallery at the Griffin Museum July 18 through September 1. An opening reception with the artist is July 18, 7-8:30 p.m.

“The physical process of splitting, binding, and healing the melons; photographing them; transferring and reworking the image allows me to explore feelings of otherness and vulnerability, but also to eventually evolve out of the introspective self and into a greater context with others,” Volp says. She often prints the photograph directly onto metal, fabric, and acrylic paint skins. Other times, the photograph is transferred by decal onto a surface such as PVC or wood. It is further altered by sewing, nailing, and taping, and worked with oil paints, graphite, and other media.

“Through this additive/subtractive process, I create a visual history of the transformation of the image and self, a dialogue between the storyline and physical elements,” Volp says.

Originally from Minneapolis, she received a bachelor’s degree from SUNY/Empire State College in New York City. She also studied with Cork Marcheschi, a kinetic and neon artist, and Siah Armajani, a conceptual artist.

Volp gives a gallery talk about her exhibit, The Melon Series, for museum members at 6:15 p.m. July 18, prior to the opening reception for all exhibits.

The catalog accompanying this  exhibition is  available for  purchase.

Miah Nate Johnson Perceptions

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Miah Nate Johnson finds art in routine aspects of everyday life.

A series of his photographs, Perceptions, is featured at the Griffin Museum at Digital Silver Imaging, 9 Brighton St., Belmont, MA, July 3 through August 26. A reception with the artist is August 8, 6-8 p.m.

“The images are typically ordinary moments between ordinary people, nothing special, as they say,” Johnson explains. “But for me there is beauty in such experiences and an instinctual need to look rather than look away.”

“Why should we care about the everyday mundane? It is because through the act of bearing witness, we transform the mundane into art.”

Johnson says the series of black and white images “juxtaposes parallel or mirroring images that subtly bring the viewer into relationship with seemingly disparate elements. In these images, relationships emerge slowly and sometimes bestow themselves with a finality.”

He adds, “My work explores the relationship between the constructed backdrops of modern society and the individuals who play out their private, human dramas within and against these public spaces.”

Johnson began working for wire services, including the Associated Press, while in college. After graduating from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, he traveled to Eastern Europe to photograph scenes from the Velvet Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

After returning to New York, he spent a year at Magnum Photos. His work has since taken him to unexplored islands off the coast of Africa, as an underwater photographer, and to Hollywood movie sets, where he contributed still photography to the films Sphere and War of the Worlds.

His clients include National Geographic, National Geographic Channel, The New York Times, The City SUN, World Wildlife Fund, American Red Cross, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures, among others.

Johnson’s awards include a 1994 Picture of the Year for magazine pictorial, as well as honors from the Chicago International Film Festival, EPIC Festival, and Houston Innerspace.

He lives and has a studio/darkroom in Wellfleet, MA, and is the recipient of five Massachusetts Cultural Art Council regional grants.

The Griffin satellite gallery, which had been at 4 Clarendon St. in Boston’s South End, has moved back to its renovated and expanded space in Belmont.

Sean Gold Horn Pond at Cambridge Homes

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Horn Pond in Woburn, MA. has been influential in Sean Gold’s life and evolution as a photographer.

After moving from the city to the suburbs in third grade, Horn Pond became his refuge. More than a decade later, he would roam the woods near the pond taking pictures. After he became a professional photographer, he returned to the pond to measure his photographic achievements.

A series of his photographs, Horn Pond, is featured at the Griffin Museum at Aberjona River Gallery in Winchester, MA, August 15 through October 22.

“Horn Pond was my training ground, from novice to professional,” says Gold. “It is the place I went when I felt inspired to create, or to just do anything other than what I was doing. It was there that I learned first hand that you need a higher shutter speed if you are going to catch that Great Blue Heron going for a fish, or a small aperture to make sure that whole scene, from one end of the pond to the other, is in focus”.

“These images tell, or rather show, that story,” he adds. “This is part of my evolution, from my compositions, to my subject matter, to my processing. And as they say in science, for it to be a viable experiment there must be only one variable and that was my knowledge and passion.”

Gold is a professional photographer from Boston. He began with photographing landscapes, and shortly after added wildlife. He recently has started photographing people.

Together with photographer David Gartner, he shot the images for an architectural book celebrating the 15th anniversary of Sunny Isles, FLA, A Source of Community Pride –The Architecture of Sunny Isles Beach.

Maxine Helfman Geisha

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Statement:
Inspired by periods of art history, my work reinterprets these traditional works from a more contemporary point of view. Our world and cultures are changing so quickly, we are witnessing the collision of past and present as populations shift, our world has become so diverse that cultures are visually harder to define.

Although my photographs are “manufactured realities”, they address real issues. Populations shift. Gender and race are redefined. Past definitions are challenged and the faces of cultures and customs change. My work depicts those changes.

Bio:
Maxine Helfman is self-taught, late bloomer. After spending years as a stylist and art director, Helfman realized her vision by getting behind the camera. She has since been shooting commercially for advertising and editorial clients, while pursuing personal projects. Her work has been recognized in PX3, IPA, Foto DC, Flash Forward Boston, Critical Mass, British Journal of Photography, Photo News, as well as the permanent collection of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Art Houston.

Visit www.maxinehelfman.com

About wallspace Founder and Director, Crista Dix

Starting in this creative field as a photographer, collector and lover of the visual image, Crista decided to put down her camera and utilize her years of business management to help promote photographers and photography. With a background in science, business and creative arts, she has created a gallery space that celebrates artists’ vision. She has been a member of numerous panels and discussions, juried creative competitions and has participated in major portfolio reviews across the country.

About wallspace
wall space is a gallery focused on the craft of photography, featuring emerging and mid career artists. The gallery expands the definition of what a photograph is, our artists use alternative processes, mixed media and digital technology in crafting their stories

The gallery opened in 2005 in Seattle, showcasing local and national talents. We opened our Santa Barbara location in 2010 again taking the lead in showcasing artists who transcend the medium, looking to expand the photographic arts.
Gallery Artists are national and internationally known creative talents, whose artistic vision is well known for its imagination and originality. A selection of prints is available in the gallery in our flat files.

Our Online gallery is our virtual showcase exposing new artists with a creative contemporary vision. Prints are available for viewing by arrangement.

Collectible is our quarterly showcase of singular images at introductory pricing. Four focused collections per year showcase new artists, and images exclusive to the gallery’s program. Limited editions, affordable pricing, and unique images make this an important part of the gallery’s mission to promote our artists and advance the larger availability of photography as an art form. A selection of prints is available in the gallery, and all of the work is available for purchase online. To view specific images, please contact the gallery to make arrangements.

Visit www.wall-spacegallery.com

John Tunney Jellyfish

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During a visit to the New England Aquarium in Boston several years ago, photographer John Tunney was inspired by the jellyfish exhibit.

“It was mesmerizing,” he says. “They project such a strong sense of being. It was like watching an otherworldly ballet.”

Returning to the aquarium many times, Tunney has taken hundreds of pictures of the jellyfish.

A series of his photographs, Jellyfish, is featured in the Atelier Gallery at the Griffin Museum June 13 through July 10. An opening reception with the artist is June 13, 7-8:30 p.m.

Tunney says taking the photographs is just the beginning of the process. Each image undergoes extensive editing. In some, he removes all colors, stripping the image down to black lines and gray shadings, and then selectively re-introduces color, altering the hue and saturation as needed.

The images are printed with pigment ink on 100 percent cotton rag.

“Far from traditional nature photography, the resulting pictures are expressive abstractions that not only capture the exotic beauty of these ethereal creatures, but also convey the sense of wonder that comes from observing them,” Tunney explains.

A resident of Cape Cod, he is a freelance photographer and frequent exhibitor in New England art shows. He also teaches photography classes and workshops.

Tunney gives a gallery talk about his exhibit, Jellyfish, for museum members at 6:15 p.m. June 13, prior to the opening reception for all exhibits.

Jennifer McClure Virtual Gallery

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I have a long history of temporary relationships punctuated by extended periods of isolation. As forty loomed closer, I decided to examine the meltdowns and the patterns to find out where I was responsible. I restaged my memories in hotel rooms, which are as impersonal and unlived in as my romances tended to be. The opening of old wounds unintentionally shed light on current patterns as lines blurred between the past and the present. The hotel rooms (sets that were always surprises) took on a different role: they came to stand for the complete lack of control that I feel in relationships.

I have been chasing an image that doesn’t exist. I am more comfortable dreaming about relationships than being in one. The stories I tell myself about my loves are far more dramatic than the actual shared experiences, and the disconnect between fantasy and reality became increasingly apparent with each staged narrative. This project is a mourning for an entire system that no longer works.

“Amorous passion is a delirium; but such delirium is not alien: everyone speaks of it, it is henceforth tamed. What is enigmatic is the loss of delirium: one returns to…what?”
Roland Barthes A Lover’s Discourse

Jennifer McClure is a fine art and documentary photographer based in New York City. She uses the camera to ask and answer questions. Most importantly, she wants to know why anyone ever gets out of bed in the morning. Jennifer turned the camera on herself after a long illness limited her access to other people. The self-portraits have become for her a way to stay in one piece, a way to be able to collect herself. She is interested in appearances and absences, short stories, poetry, and movies without happy endings.

Jennifer was born in Virginia and raised all over the Southeast. The child of a Marine, she moved frequently and traumatically. Photographs were the proof that she lived in this place, was friends with those people. She decorated her walls with traces of her past. After acquiring a B.A. in English Theory and Literature, Jennifer began a long career in restaurants. She returned to photography in 2001, taking classes at the School of Visual Arts and the International Center of Photography. Her work has been included in several group shows and online publications, and she was recently awarded CENTER’s Editor’s Choice by Susan White of Vanity Fair.

View Jennifer McClure’s Website

Photosynthesis VIII

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By creating photographic portraits of themselves and their surroundings, students from the Boston Arts Academy and Winchester High School have been exploring their sense of self and place in a unique collaborative program at the Griffin Museum.

In its eighth year, the 5-month program connects approximately 40 students – 20 from each school – with each other and with professional photographers. The goal is to increase students’ awareness of the art of photography, as well as how being from different programs and different schools affects their approach to the same project.

The students were given the task of creating a body of work that communicates a sense of self and place. They were encouraged to explore the importance of props, the environment, facial expression, metaphor, and body language in portrait photography.

During the course of the project, students met with Mary Beth Meehan, a photographer and native of Rhode Island. Meehan’s City of Champions document the city of Brockton and the people who live there. Chelsea native Dominic Chavez talked with students about his work as a Boston Globe photographer and photographing in Africa and Afghanistan.

Students also met with Sam Sweezy, a professional fine art and commercial photographer and educator who lives in Arlington, MA. He has exhibited at major photography venues including the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY.

Alison Nordstrom, curator of the George Eastman House in Rochester, N.Y., and Sweezy gathered with students for a group discussion of the work and a final edit of the exhibition.

“In collaboration and through creative discourse these students have grown,” said Paula Tognarelli, executive director of the Griffin Museum. “We are very pleased to be able to share this year’s students’ work. We thank the mentors for providing a very meaningful experience for the students. We also want to thank the Griffin Foundation and the Murphy Foundation, whose continued commitment to this project made learning possible. To paraphrase Elliot Eisner, the arts enabled these students to have an experience that they could have from no other source.”

Ellen Feldman A Dancer in her Studio 1986 -2011

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Ellen Feldman is a fine arts photographer whose on-going emphasis is spontaneity. This is reflected in her street photography and her long-term project photographing a dancer.

A series of her images, A Dancer in Her Studio 1986 – 2011, is featured at The Griffin Museum at the Aberjona River Gallery, 184 Swanton St, Winchester, MA, May 21, 2013 through September 9, 2013.

“Nicole Pierce, modern dancer and choreographer extraordinaire, has been a favorite subject of mine for over 10 years,” says Feldman. “I photograph her on Sunday mornings every few months – sometimes more frequently.

“I’m free to shoot while Nicole puts together her weekly dance class at Greene Street Studios in Cambridge. She doesn’t stop to pose for me, so in a sense my process is the same as when I am photographing in city streets, “ Feldman adds. “I like the spontaneity of the ever-changing present, never quite sure what the next instant will bring.”

All the photos in the exhibit are black and white digital prints, originally from negatives, slides, or a digital source.

Feldman, of Cambridge, MA, has studied photography at the Maine Photographic Workshops, Fine Arts Work Center of Provincetown, and the Photography Atelier, Lesley University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Barnard College and a Ph.D. in Cinema Studies from New York University.

Feldman is the photography editor of the Women’s Review of Books, a monthly journal published by Wellesley College, and a member of the Cambridge Art Association, and ‘soupgroup,’ an ongoing collaboration and critique group.

She is also a film scholar. Her paper, The Conversation: A Study in Surveillance, was awarded third place in the 2006 National Paper Prize Competition sponsored by the University Film and Video Association

Feldman’s recent work includes photographing toy characters in urban settings. She also has three self-published books, Les Mysteres de Paris/Paris Mysteries, A Week in Prague: Wall People /Street People; and The Dancer as the Invisible Girl.

The public is welcome to view the exhibit Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please check in with the receptionist.

Amy Neill Afterglow

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Amy Neill says that at the heart of her work “lies a fascination with state of mind and emotion. These images are a product of memory, imagination, and spiritual essence.”

A series of her photographs, Afterglow, is featured in the Griffin Gallery of the Griffin Museum June 13 through July 10. An opening reception with the artist is June 13, 7-8:30 p.m.

“Just once a year, the coastline of Cape Cod is transformed into an urban oasis of light,” Neill says. “The beaches shift from serene, peaceful landscapes to a labyrinth of social interactions.

“A gypsy-like spirit migrates to this beautiful space, claiming the land as its own and vanishing just as quickly,” she adds. “This urban aspect draws me in; it challenges me to weigh the union of this vast landscape with the taste of a significant human presence. It brings an intimacy into the darkness that reflects an alluring rare energy.”

Neill studied photography at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and later graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. She lives and works on Cape Cod and has exhibited her work in galleries around the country.

John Tunney gives a gallery talk about his exhibit Jellyfish – which is in the Atelier Gallery — for museum members at 6:15 p.m. June 13, prior to the opening reception for all exhibits.

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