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In the Blink of an Eye by Michelle Ricci-Koch

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In the Blink of an Eye: A Collection of Portraits & Florals by Michelle Ricci-Koch

Exhibit: November 2 to December 3, 2023
Art Hop Reception: November 2, 2023 – 5PM to 8PM
 
'Bride' by Michelle Ricci-Koch

I am a storyteller; my curiosity leads me to ask a lot of questions. My parents
mistakenly took it as sass but my lively imagination genuinely needed to connect the dots. I found that connection when I picked up the camera and immersed myself in an art community. An artistic journey spanning decades, my passion for photography ignited in the late 80’s with the discovery of the wet darkroom. Witnessing the evolution from film to digital, I’ve embraced the ever-changing landscape of technology while preserving the timeless essence of capturing moments.

My current exhibition showcases a delicate dance between the past and present. Through the lens of film, I capture the essence of florals, weaving in digital processes to enhance their innate beauty. My portraits embody the newer technology but are created with genuine human connection on a personal level.

Growth, life, erosion and age are all beautiful when viewed as a moment that will never be the same. Time never stops, we never get that minute back. An event, a portrait and the changing landscape can only be captured that second, whether it be seen with our eyes, or captured with a camera. As we age our mind may not be the keeper of memories anymore, but a photograph! A photograph lives on from generation to generation revealing history, memories and emotion.

Join me on this visual odyssey, where each photograph not only tells a story but
also invites you to join in the celebration of my life’s connections.

Making my home in Clovis, I share my life with a husband of 34 years, a daughter, three felines and a loyal canine companion. Beyond the lens, I am a passionate gardener, channeling my love for nature’s wonders into both my artistic and personal pursuits.
 
Michelle will be giving a Friday Photography Live talk on the importance of Portraits, on December 1st, at 7:00 pm at the Spectrum Art Gallery.
 
'The Gift' by Michelle Ricci-Koch

Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:

Thursdays and Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Street View by Larry Cusick

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Street View by Larry Cusick

Exhibit: October 5 to October 29, 2023
Art Hop Reception: October 5, 2023 – 5PM to 8PM
 

The street Is a landscape. But it is a landscape unique to the urban environment. As I walk with my camera, I see an unintended art-scape of concrete structures, metal objects, and people, all interacting randomly, and yet not randomly. Conversations echo off of walls, people hurry to cross a street, deep shadows slice through the air, closed doorways stand guard against entry, or street vendors in a topsy-turvy crowded sidewalk do their best to attract attention. There are stories unfolding every day on the streets. I try to understand what stories are being told. A photographic image can work for me if it triggers a mental narrative. 

An image could also work for me if it is an abstraction with no apparent story. But always, the photograph must be arresting. It could be a reflected street scene whose geometry is paradoxical, or highly symmetric. It could be a railroad crossing in the rain or an isolated small restaurant on a lonely street. These are everyday images. I like to take pictures of them.

There is beauty in the street, and my aspiration is to show that through my photography. And by beauty, I might not mean say, a flower or a majestic mountain. There is beauty in the geometrical patterns of the front face of a public building, the thoughtful gaze of a person waiting for something, the unexpected juxtaposition of someone walking by a piece of street art, or the textures of aged dilapidated structures whose purpose is long forgotten.

The photographs I am presenting fall into several categories. They include street photography, candid portraits, architecture, urban exploration, abstract reflective patterns, the so-called new topographics, and others that I may not even have thought of. I love taking pictures on the street. I hope you like them.

About the Artist
My interest in photography started when I took a photojournalism course in college. I was struck by how a story could be told through still images. Ever since then, I have been struck by the power of photography. After college came graduate school and a career and a family to raise, so photography took a back seat, mainly family snapshots. After retiring from higher education, I took up birding with my wife. I was immediately drawn to the challenge of bird photography. After a few years, I started to explore other types of photography. The one genre that I found most interesting was street photography, which in many ways I found similar to bird photography. Today I do both.
 
The artist, Larry Cusick, will be hosting Friday Photography Live at Spectrum Gallery on October 20th at 7PM. Please join us to learn more about the images and his process.
 

Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:

Thursdays and Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Group Exhibition by Ed Gillum & Jesse Merrell & Travis Rockett

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Perspectives: Point of View by Edward Gillum

Captive Isolation by Jesse Merrell

Remnants of the Past by Travis Rockett

Exhibit: September 7 to October 1, 2023
Art Hop Reception: September 7, 2023 – 5PM to 8PM
 
Transit by Edward Gillum

Our ideas, dreams and memories are our own. They help us weave our version of a reality that may or may not be in agreement with others, even those close to us. When is the last time you just did not see eye to eye with a friend or loved one? Choosing to agree to disagree can bring about peace without necessarily assuming the other’s perspective or point of view.

We are all capable of reconstructing memories of childhood. One memory might include playing a game called ‘telephone’ in which several kids sit in a circle, and one person tells a story or a joke to the person on their left, (or right), and as the story or joke is passed from one to the next person, finally coming full circle back to the first teller of the story or joke, and it is not the same as the original version.

This example of a commonly shared experience among many serves as one illustration of how each participant brings their uniqueness and differences to a given situation, establishing a clear depiction of their own personal thoughts, ideas, opinions, i.e. their perspectives and as such, their overall point
of view.

I work best when I am guided by a self-imposed system and/ or a set of fairly rigid parameters. And as a process for the upcoming show, I chose to give myself the job of reacting to the notion that everyone has a different perspective, so that for this installation, I would need to collect a large quantity
of perspectives. In this case that would involve searching and accumulating many visual images that illustrate a depth of space or perspective. The extreme heat we experienced in late July and early August gave me cause to stay indoors, enjoying the AC, (after the crisis of my AC going down on the
“hottest” day of the year), working on the computer searching for and then processing images. It dawned on me that the accumulation of many images of perspectives could be printed on wallpaper and formed into a cone, open on one end and at the other end – a point (of view). – Edward Gillum

Self Esteem by Jesse Merrell

While the Coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, our response to it has eased by many degrees. The COVID lockdown in 2020 certainly has made a lasting impact on our lives, both personally and professionally. Its effect clings to us in our motivation patterns, our work environment, and even our social lifestyles – with some too afraid to be as social as before and minimizing contact with others, and many others seeming to make up for lost social time.

Captive Isolation is a conversation of that difficult time. It is an interpretation and exploration of concepts of “Social Distance,” “Mask Up,” and “Lockdown.” How I chose to express this is with human figure and form, made bare, naked
and exposed.

The human nude is a classical prompt; often used in fine art illustrations and photography. In this series, I am relating this to the exposure to the coronavirus long before we were even made aware it existed and through the initial stages of the pandemic. Our bodies were vulnerable to the virus, and so
naked to the environment we were.

It was important to express a feeling of loneliness in this collection. Isolation does many things to the social mind, and being isolated, alone, and naked is certainly one way to illustrate this. Further, the concept of “masking up”
has become so commonplace now, but at the time was an imposition, a requirement. It can also be interpreted as us being ignorant of the goings on in the world, especially in relation to finding a viable vaccine. But in that sense, our masks can also be blindfolds or shrouds. 

Lastly, the exploration uses bondage and kink as a visual metaphor for the lockdown. The loss of freedom; unable to relax and socialize as we would so choose. Instead, and with the understanding of safety, we freely surrendered our mobility to our caretakers and leaders, and let them dictate our decisions.
This is comparable to the relationship that a dominant or master has over their submissive.

The other link to the lockdown that this series connects to is the hyper sexualization experienced by many, which may have been a mix of a need to connect socially, survival instinct, and even boredom. Add this to the mix of frustration, sadness, anger, and in some cases, joy, that the pandemic caused
emotionally and mentally, and we can conclude that our personal experience with the lockdown is deeply personal and individually unique. However, I feel we all can relate to some aspects of the works presented in this series; not only locally, but internationally as well.

We may have been captive, isolated, and alone; but as the human community, we were alone together. – Jesse Merrell

Alcatraz Tower by Travis Rockett

Over the last several years, I have been enamored with historical places. “Remnants of the Past” was born from my explorations of these places and spaces. It has been a collection that I will continuously update, as it really reflects an area I am passionate about: History. This selection of works comes from photographs while traveling to Bodie, CA and Alcatraz. Both places were a joy to explore, and I was amazed to see so much preserved in arrested decay. Between
the external shots, the interiors, and the details, I had so much to discover, and my drive to keep looking for more inspiration from the past was definitely stimulated.

I have always been enamored by the past. I enjoy working with my prints and trying to make them look more vintage or as though they were taken in a bygone era. This show has a combination of Black and White, Color, and Toned images, all of which I hope captures the essence of time and place, all while bringing my subjects into focus.

It is my hope that my photography inspires others to seek out these amazing places, and perhaps see if they can find my exact view! – Travis Rockett

Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:

Thursdays and Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Vantage Point by Joshua Moulton & Jessica Barrett

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Vantage Point by Joshua Moulton & Jessica Barrett

Exhibit: August 3 to Spetember 3, 2023
Art Hop Reception: August 3, 2023 – 5PM to 8PM
Artist Workshop: Editing Milky Way Photography
Saturday – August 19 %:30PM to 8PM
Genevan Door by Jessica Barrett

There are times when a shape, that peculiar slant of earth, or curl of bending light calls to us so compulsorily from both familiar and foreign spaces as if by some palpable force, some invisible guide that we are compelled to capture a
moment—to take some inch of memory to keep with us, to remind us. Sometimes we feel it in the patterned stone of a hollowed archway, or in the pull of an outstretched tree limb, regardless of what draws us in—our experiences and histories become vantage points on how we perceive and interact with the landscapes offered to us. What is worth a second look? What begs a conversation? What makes us feel something we can’t quite explain in any other way than through a photograph?

Joshua Moulton is an award-winning landscape photographer who seeks out large, imaginative scenes that skew towards the fantastical, while Jessica Barrett is a published poet who gravitates toward intimate, singular images whose quiet palpability can echo just as powerful. With a backpack chock full of camera gear—Joshua is ready for any condition as he will often be found ankle-deep in rivers, traversing questionable heights, and craning his neck upwards with digital Fuji in hand to capture a fleeting moment. Jessica is usually
found trailing behind, kneeling with her Polaroid camera in attempt to celebrate the small victory of a poppy budding or the sweet comfort of some imperfect pattern.

Vantage Point is a diary of two artists exploring the world together culminating in a collection of images that spans many years and countries with overlapping, yet discernible points of view. As husband and wife, this duo can usually agree on their next destination, but upon arrival, they oftentimes find themselves facing in differing directions, each conscious of what has led them to this moment in time, each searching for a glimpse of comfort or nagging curiosity, each tracing images with only the light they are given.

Both artists are CSU Fresno alumni: Joshua received his BA in Geography, while Jessica received her MFA in Creative Writing. When not traveling, these Central California natives stay close to home in Clovis with their two cats.


Josh will host an editing Milky Way photography workshop Saturday, August 19. 2023 5:30 PM to 8 PM at the gallery – 608 E. Olive

Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:

Thursdays and Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Fairy Circle by Joshua Moulton

Corrode by Nicole Ellis

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Corrode by Nicole Ellis

Exhibit: July 6 to July 30, 2023
Art Hop Reception: July 6, 2023 – 4PM to 8PM
Artist Reception: July 29, 2023 4PM – 8PM

Nicole Ellis is an experimental self-portrait photographer and alternative process printmaker. Ellis was born and raised in Fresno, CA (where she currently resides). In 2021 Ellis graduated from California State University Fresno with a M.A. in Studio Arts emphasizing on photography and printmaking.

‘Corrode’ is an exhibit accenting the importance of time, space, and human interference. It is a reminder that with time and space there is no constant, and with physical interaction there is always a reaction. When speaking on her insight and creative process in the making of the works for ‘Corrode’, Ellis said this:

For as long as I can remember, coping with struggles of detachment and dissociation with myself (and the universe) has been a challenge. I have always questioned what I was seeing, the purpose of life, and the validity of what I was feeling. Perception and the idea in which we all perceive things from a different scope has been one in which I find both curious and frustrating at the same time. For someone who has trouble with verbal expression and communication, perception can (and often does) work as a detriment. This is especially true when your mind is not “normal”. It is then a certain level of sophistication is required to translate what is going on in the brain out into the world; a level of sophistication I am lacking verbally. The incapacity to speak my intents, to be misunderstood constantly, to me is like hell. An isolated hell. Creation of analog photography is an escape, and an endeavor into the depths of my own soul and headspace. The development of film and mass production of silver gelatin and cyanotype prints leave me alone in the darkroom for extended amounts of time; it is there in which I find moments of peace and understanding.

These photographs speak a language in which I cannot do so effectively with my words, simulating moments of extreme emotional distress, vulnerability, and discomfort with brief glimpses of hope and light. These images serve as a visual diary, or in other words, are an insight into my mind. My use of self-portraiture in combination with physical manipulation to negatives, splatters of emulsion, and tears and cuts to the surface of paper printed on allow for my emotions to speak without the means for words. Use of the hand and the physical self during both the photography and printmaking processes bring me closer to my work and establish it as an actual part of myself; a part in which I often inflict violence. Repetition and recurrence of imagery throughout my work reinforce my occupancy with this violence and these anxieties.  Process is perhaps the most important component of my work, which is not to be mistaken for technique. While both technique and process pertain to hand-implemented engagement with the work, process is specific to the time, place, and spirit in which the work is created opposed to the “goodness” of it. The use of large format photography is employed as it forces me to slow process down, nothing is rushed, allowing for actual embodiment of the moment itself.

Experimental processes and manipulation to imagery challenge the ideas of perception and actuality. As an analog photographer, in the simplest form, a photograph is taken, and a negative is produced. How the negative is utilized post-production will determine the way in which the image is perceived. When you start crossing these processes, perception becomes more distorted and the original image begins to decompose and muddle, though in actuality the basis of the image is no different.

In life I am a film negative; and your perceptions of me are none less than a variety of alternative processes; both ugly and pretty. I put myself through these processes as well, so watch me as I corrode; because I am.

Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:

Thursdays and Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Revisited by Rebecca Caraveo

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Revisited by Rebecca Caraveo

Exhibit: June 1 to July 2, 2023
Art Hop Reception: June 1, 2023 – 5PM to 8PM
Artist Reception: June 17, 2023 2 – 5PM
Friday Photography Live: ‘Traveling with My Camera’ June 23, 2023 7PM

Photography inspired me to be fearless in chasing dreams and doing a little bit of everything I ever wanted to do. It worked. It also has gifted me with a lot of wonderful friends who inspired me through the years and still do; photographers and gallery members, teachers and students, artists and art lovers, musicians and music lovers, historians, local and international cultural icons, all these incredible people who have passed through my life and added to it.

On this journey, years ago, I fell in love with making art with my camera and with traveling to spectacularly old places, trying to recreate those vintage postcards of days gone by with hand-colored images on silver gelatin prints. It was hard to let go of film (lovely and grainy) and fiber-based papers (rich and sturdy), but it all finally gave way with digital experiments of camera and phone, apps and mixed media, and finally digital editing.

As photographers, we subconsciously find things we are drawn to and through the years, finally acknowledge it. You’ll see a lot of flowers in my work as I’m always fascinated by their brief beauty whether they are in my garden, or in more than a few instances in this show, in Monet’s Garden in Giverny. Each time I visit different flowers are showing their beauty, and my most recent time, the tulips were in abundance and therefore, my exhibit card.

There will also be a segment honoring my rock’n’roll life because that, as well as photography opened so many doors for me and allowed me to not only meet my musical heroes but play music with them.

Other pieces will highlight Notre Dame and the changes before and since the fire, including two silver gelatin pieces, one highlighting the wooden centerpiece of the roof that was lost.

To come full circle, and become a photography teacher at Fresno City College, inspiring a whole new generation of photographers, was a bonus, and a bucket list item I didn’t even know I had.

This photographic exhibit honors thirty years of knowing wonderful people, visiting exciting places and having great adventures, with my camera by my side. 

As part of Spectrum’s educational series Friday Photography Live, Rebecca will be giving a presentation “Traveling with My Camera” on June 23, 2023, at 7 pm at the Spectrum Art Gallery. The event is open to the public.

Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:

Thursdays and Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Whispers of Nature by Franka M. Gabler

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Whispers of Nature by Franka M. Gabler

Exhibit: May 4 to May 28, 2023
Art Hop Reception: May 4, 2023 – 5PM to 8PM
Hazy Sunrise, Death Valley

For many years the photographer, Franka M. Gabler has been drawing inspiration from subtle, moody, often intimate landscapes. Her compositions are somewhere between detail or abstract, and the wider view, beyond mere documentation of a particular location. Such compositions allow her to isolate unique scenes that speak to her, from otherwise well-known places.

When in nature, Franka follows her intuition to see what entices her and draws her attention, hoping to recognize a simple story to capture the essence of the place.  She’s inherently drawn to smaller, more intimate scenes that capture the spirit of a place, particularly to quiet and moody scenes. Snow, mist, fog, and even haze are her favorite conditions to photograph since they add a little extra to the composition – a bit of atmosphere and mood. To her, the composition is more than just a choice of subject and distribution of key elements of the scene. It also includes exposure decisions, and choice of light, color, contrast, and weather – all these elements are particularly helpful in depicting mood and capturing the essence.

The exhibit “Whispers of Nature” includes photographs of smaller, evocative scenes from Yosemite, Eastern Sierra, and Death Valley – the places she knows well and with which she has developed an emotional connection.  Sometimes it’s about capturing subtle light, colors, and contrast. Other times it’s about capturing her experience in nature when making the images: the softness and silence of the falling snow, or a quiet time in a forest, observing nature that is preparing for rest.

Biography:
Award-winning photographer and scientist, Franka M. Gabler, developed a fascination, admiration, and respect for nature early in her lifetime. For many years Franka has been photographing the magnificence of the high-country mountains and the California landscape. Her photographs are evocative – the light and atmosphere evident in her photographs often result in sentimental impact and ethereal feeling. She strives to capture the mood and the essence of the place she photographs.

Franka’s photographs have been recognized internationally, including the 2022 Landscape Photography World Awards (overall winner) and the 2021 Natural Landscape Photography First Place award in the category “Intimate and Abstract.”  Her photographs are published in several books and she has been featured in several photography magazines. Franka has been invited to speak at several photography conferences.

Her work has been featured in numerous exhibits and is represented in private collections throughout the United States and abroad. She is affiliated with Stellar Gallery in Oakhurst, Circle Gallery in Madera, Ridgeline Gallery in Mariposa, Viewpoint Photographic Center in Sacramento, and Spectrum Fine Art Gallery in Fresno, CA.

As part of Spectrum’s educational series Friday Photography Live, Franka will be giving a presentation “Capturing and Expressing Mood in Landscape Photography” on May 19, 2023, at 7 pm at the Spectrum Art Gallery. The event is open to the public.

Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:

Thursdays and Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Spectrum Art Gallery Auction 2023 Exhibition

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Spectrum Art Gallery Auction 2023 Exhibition

Exhibit: April 6 to April 30, 2023
Art Hop Reception: April 6, 2023 – 5PM to 8PM
LIVE Auction: April 30, 2023 5PM @ Tower Theatre – 815 E. Olive, Fresno CA

Finally, we can once again hold an unforgettable live event! Please join us to celebrate and support 43 years of bringing fine art photography to the Central Valley. During the month of April, Spectrum will be exhibiting a diverse collection of fine art photographs from distinguished and emerging artists. The works will be displayed through April at Spectrum Art Gallery, 608 East Olive Ave. Fresno, CA 93728.

For the main event, we have selected a NEW VENUE! This year, the live auction will be held at the historic, Tower Theater, 815 E Olive Ave, Fresno, CA 93728.
These fantastic works of art will be auctioned off to the highest bidder during this Live Annual Benefit Reception and Auction, held Sunday evening, April 30th. We will provide our guests with music, food, and wine while they mingle with fellow art enthusiasts and collectors in this grand old Theater.

Spectrum Art Gallery is a cooperative organization that exhibits both local and out of area fine art photography. We are proud to give our local artists an opportunity to exhibit their work in a premium gallery setting. We also bring in noted photographers each year to allow our local patrons a chance to see and appreciate nationally recognized artists in our local setting. This event combines a chance to view and appreciate fine art as well as an opportunity to take home artworks that speak to you. Nowhere else in the area will you have the chance to view and purchase works from the roster of both local and nationally known artists represented in this auction. Photography is an excellent investment in both economic and personal terms. Think of the opportunities that have been missed in the past. How many times have you, or someone you were speaking with, said “if only I had bought work by “x” back in (fill in the date) before he/she hit it big”. This is your chance to bid on both up and coming as well as fully established, internationally recognized, artist’s/artists’ work.

Your generous participation benefits Spectrum Art Gallery – one of the oldest cooperatives of its kind dedicated to advancing photography as an art form. Your support allows Spectrum to achieve its mission of supporting those who create, enjoy and collect photography, and offering an accessible community space for activities and programs to meet the community’s needs. Through your generosity, Spectrum is able to offer supplemental educational programs and workshops to our community, and continuously make a significant impact towards furthering the arts in the Central Valley.

This event is the primary annual fundraiser for Spectrum Art Gallery. Please join us for this important event and support photographic art in our community. Our gallery is a 501c(3) registered non-profit organization. 

Spectrum Art Gallery’s New Hours of Operation:

Thursdays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Fridays: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM