Review of Maryland Federation of Art juried show

[The_Traveler]

Review:Focal Point: Fine Art and Creative Photography

Maryland Federation of Art
shown concurrently with the Potters Guild of Annapolis
Dates: May 23 - June 15, 2014 at the MFA Circle Gallery, 18 State Circle Gallery, Annapolis.

"Art is not a mirror, but a hammer: it does not reflect, it shapes."

Leon Trotsky, Literature and Revolution (1924):

I go to photography shows for my own sake. I go, and then write about them, because every time I see some pictures that I like, it is an exercise of my critical sense to decide why I like them - and that sharpens up my own eye for any work I do in the future. Rarely do I write or even think about work that doesn't impress me; why bother?

As I see more and more, I have refined my criteria for what makes something impressive or good to me. In general I would much rather see a one person show or at least a show where each artist has multiple works. In a show where each artist is represented by only one piece, it is very difficult to see, think or say much about the artist.

That single work might be the absolute acme of that person's work, a lucky shot, an even-the-dumbest-blindest-squirrel-finds-an-occasional-acorn sort of thing. Or the picture might be the one 'thing' the photographer has discovered that works – and which is worked to death whenever he or she shoots.

So a many person show, like the MFA show, is really a measure of the entire membership of the organization and, if I am lucky, I see something that I like that would cause me to want to return to other shows by the same organization. I learn, not about the artist, but the organization.

What am I looking for?

Art is creation, art is intent. I am not interested in the happy accident.

I look for pictures that show a creative mind and spirit, pictures that give me an idea what the photographer is thinking and why they framed and collected what they did. I am not concerned with technical execution as a goal, except that the execution should be so good as to get out of the way and leave me alone to look through the frame into the artist's creation.

What pictures do I ignore? Well, clearly the opposite, pictures whose entire worth is based on their execution, pictures that are a self-conscious trick, pictures that are essentially repetition of scenes or ideas you and I have seen a hundred times before. Pictures that have nothing to say except 'look at me because I've done something different.'
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The remainder of this post contains photos to which I do not hold the copyright and can be read at Lew Lorton Photography | Review: Focal Point: Fine Art and Creative Photography - MD Fed Art

 

[Derrel]

CIRCLE GALLERY ONLINE

WOW! Some really nice fine art images, of many types, and different display mediums used as well. REALLY worth seeing. Looking at the gallery's for-sale listings, I could easily see myself wanting $3,000 worth of these photos. There were easily six of them,maybe more, that I could look at for years and not grow tired of seeing.

 

[The_Traveler]

yes, some of these people are really good.
All the work was very professionally executed.

 

[The_Traveler]

Wait a minute, scroooo the photography, you were supposed to compliment my review. :smileys::smileys::smileys:

Those who can't do, write reviews.

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, yeah, yeah... your review was fine, Lew. I read it, then clicked on the link to the photos. I was surprised at the vision of the images. A lot of thoughtfulness, and imagination, and a good cross-section of styles, types, and schools of photographic aesthetics were shown. The photos really spanned a lot of ground, and were not as is so common, all of one era, not all of one sensibility.

I think if you want to really get down to brass tacks, you might want to address the unresolved issue of what you brought up, but did not finish: namely, that you do not like to see SINGLE photos from one shooter, but the show is made up of single frames...the curators get the credit for this show apparently, but I do not think you really, in writing, fully resolve the issue of how you do not like to see what you referred to as the acme, or the lucky shots, of single photographers. I mean, I "get" what you are saying, but I think the blog post might need a paragraph or two to actually, in writing, address that issue a bit more fully. You know, to put a bow on this show... (the aforementioned is not the best expression I am capable of under idea conditions...I'm a bit tired today, can''t write for ***+.)

I dunno...I still enjoyed the HECK out of seeing those images, and I went through the gallery listings and clicked on and viewed the largest sized images they have...some neat stuff! There were only three images that I did not bother viewing.

 

[The_Traveler]

thanks, added some works to make a juncture.

 

[Derrel]

It's a pretty good blog post. I thought the way you described the thunderbolt, and the two examples, was near perfect. Really good writing about a photo exhibition. Writing about photos can be very tricky. People definitely ought to take the time to read the post you wrote.

 

[The_Traveler]

One of the advantages I have is that I actually know nothing - or very little; thus anything is write is purely my own reaction rather than having to integrate what I think and what I know with a reaction.
For the last couple of years, I've been reading A D Coleman's blog and other people who write about photography and it is very interesting how they write about everything but the actual pictures.
Maybe that's all been said and they need to range further afield.

It's quite an advantage to being un-educated.

 

[Derrel]

For the last couple of years, I've been reading A D Coleman's blog

That's great. He needs a reader.