January 2019

January will feature a two-person exhibit by Gailan Gray and Jonathan Rollins.

ArtHop reception: Thursday, January 3, 2019, 5:00-8:00pm

Friday Photography Live presentation: Friday, January 18, 2019, 7:00pm

Gailan Gray “A Suspected History”

Adam's Never Ending Moment
Gailan Gray - Adam's Never Ending Moment

Born and raised in the small rural town of Exeter, California, Gailan had a vision to see the world in a new way. Coming from a working class background didn’t provide a lot of luxuries for him and his sisters growing up. “If you want to get anywhere in life, you have to put in the work.” This was the family motto growing up.

Gailan graduated High School in 2010 and went onto Fresno State where he studied art and photography for four years. He graduated with his Bachelor’s of Arts in Art in the fall of 2014. After being inspired by the faculty of Fresno State, Gailan knew he wanted to become a Professor of Art.

After graduating Fresno State, he went onto San Jose State University, where he studied to get his Master’s of Fine Arts in Photography in May 2018. It was in Graduate School that Gailan discovered the true meaning of his work. At San Jose State, Gailan learned that he was not as interested in traditional methods of photography, rather, he wanted to challenge the meaning of a photograph. It was here that he discovered he was meant to be an installation artist.

Currently, Gailan is still working on his art, and is also teaching as a Professor of Photography and Design at Gavilan College in Gilroy, California. He plans to travel and discover where he wants his journey to take him.

 Gailan Gray-Memories Float
Gailan Gray - Memories Float
 
Artist Statement:

The theme that I am exploring with this work is an artistic investigation into where queerness comes from. For two years, I investigated my grandfather's artwork, looking for clues about who he was—and in turn—hoping to uncover the truth of my own work. Through the artistic investigation that I was conducting, I noticed similar themes between our work as well as the objects we had come to possess over time. My objective was to present these artifacts as evidence to have a commentary on the treatment of homosexuality in the 1940s and 1950s (a time in which it was criminalized) versus today where these themes are often celebrated. Through the agency of a queer perspective I analyzed my grandfather's art work and his personal objects and began to draw bridges between his work and my own, allowing me to conclude that my grandfather was possibly gay. It is this dialogue around the idea of where queerness comes from that I find interesting given today's political climate regarding gender and sexuality.

Jonathan Rollins “My Mind's Eye”

Jonathan Rollins, Carrigadrohid Castle Ireland
Jonathan Rollins - Carrigadrohid Castle, Ireland

Mr. Rollins is a fine art photographer who lives in Fresno and is now retired. He bought his first camera in 1965 in Yokosuka, Japan. With one 30-year break, he has been making photographs ever since.

Over the years, Mr. Rollins has received Best of Show and many First-Place awards at the Fresno Fair Photography Exhibitions. He has also participated in a Juried Photography Exhibition at the Madera County Arts Council Circle Gallery, exhibited at The Spectrum Art Gallery, and Fresno City Hall.

In addition, Mr. Rollins has been one of the Director of the Fresno Camera club for the last several years.

 Jonathan Rollins-Kara electric
Jonathan Rollins - KARA electric
Artist Statement:

My photography explores the everyday beauty of life in all its forms. For me, photography is an emotional experience, there must be something in an image that moves me before I will take a picture. The meaning of an image arrives after the fact, and often changes over time. This is even more so, if I decide to take an image to the next level through post processing. I fully understand that perfection is a goal, not a reality. Nevertheless, I continue to work towards perfection, trying to get as much out of every image as possible, having lots of fun doing so.