First in a series of strictly online exhibitions, this virtual exhibition features member artworks exposed, edited, or symbolic of sheltering in place. These images were made close to home, catching up with image editing, or interacting with recent social and physical environments.
For more information on any of these presented artworks or to purchase, please email Jesse Merrell at curator@spectrumphotogallery.org
Spectrum Art Gallery is excited to announce a “Pop-up” exhibition of Small Works, a show that features artworks from members that measure no longer than 12 inches in any dimension. This is a popular exhibition format that our members will enjoy, and will bring options to the public of smaller, more affordable artworks. The other benefit of this exhibition is that due to the smaller submissions, it provides a venue for members to showcase a greater variety of work. Participants are encouraged to submit up to four works to the show. |
Mr. Rhames is a digital photographer who prints his own images using archival pigment inks on Fine Art archival paper. His photography includes portraiture, ‘scapes, nature, commercial and product imagery and weddings. The prints he displays in this exhibit are both monochrome and color.
The subject matter is from a larger body of work and is a collection of images capturing the distinctive beauty of medieval Irish – Norman architecture of some of Ireland’s lesser known historical sites.
In Rhames’ description of his exhibit, he states “While most people see these old Medieval ruins as just piles of rocks, I am irresistibly drawn to the eloquent poem of history that they whisper to me. Most often, I am completely alone with these stone edifices and, while photographing them from every conceivably interesting angle, able to hear their whisperings and envision the stories they conjure in my more than willing imagination.”
He adds, “The finished product of my photography seems to inevitably result in what those sites felt like to me more than what they looked like in the light of forensic accuracy. Many times, the finished product of my photography of these tangible historical markers seems to be “dark” in an emotional sense. I often wonder if that result is an expression of my knowledge that history has not been kind to my Irish ancestors. Particularly that history imposed upon them by my father’s Anglo-Irish ancestors.”
Mr. Rhames will present a discussion of his photography and techniques on Friday January 17th, at 7 PM at The Spectrum Gallery’s “Friday Photography Live”.
Mr. Rhames was first introduced to serious photography as a “rookie” police officer with the City of Fresno Police Department, assigned to the Identification Bureau (what is now called CSI), photographing crime scenes and other events requiring photographic evidence. The assignment was brief, but he learned “the basics”. Upon retirement, 40 years later, he gravitated to photography as a second career. He studied and completed the Commercial Photography Course with the New York Institute of Photography, continued his photographic education through intensive selfteaching methods and has been a licensed photographer since 2010. In successive years Fresno Fair Professional Photography Exhibition, he has been awarded numerous awards in the Professional Category.
Many years ago, Spectrum Art Gallery acquired a large collection of works donated by collector George Ollikkala. George was a life long art collector, a hobby he began in college. Although it took him a while to come to the conclusion that he was a collector, he actually had plans to open his own museum. He bought anything and everything: ceramics, etchings, Pre-Colombian art, paintings, bronzes, photographs. Whatever was available that he could afford. He loved going to Mexico, and was interested in Pre-Columbian art, with this part of the collection going to the Fresno Art Museum.
He was a fixture at Spectrum’s yearly auction and owned many pieces by gallery members. He passed away February 17, 2011 leaving his photography collection to Spectrum Art Gallery. This December, we will be exhibiting a selection of these works for our members and guests to enjoy. Be sure to stop in and see this amazing collection of various works from years past!
ARTIST ED GILLUM’S STATEMENT:
Framing an Idea
I always enjoy witnessing what students can come up with when assigned the imagining, the virtual imaging of an idea ~ simply, ‘describe the idea that you see in your imagination’.
WHAT IF ………………..
No tools, no materials, no technical processes, just the intuitive activity of the imagination. Right now I am having a blast framing the images for my upcoming exhibit. All the images have been created, and now the rest of the stories will be told with the frames, (framing), and other objects. The parts all come together, becoming a whole as each letter of the alphabet inspired me to choose a relevant image and then to decide just how to process each one in order to help create the right feeling(s). Now back to the ‘framing an idea’. I need to just put all the parts together and see if all the elements work as a whole, all the while hoping to communicate my response to and interpretation of what I experience in this life, and for as long as I am able, to tell another part of the story. Please come to the reception and see for yourself.
A quote from photographer Jeff Wall –
“All art is always an expression of affection of there being a world.”
Art that utilizes and incorporates text into the body of the objects that get created stands as a vital attempt to communicate in new ways. I find that ‘everything’ I see and experience is fair game to borrow/appropriate from and to utilize in my creative endeavor.
My solo show at SPECTRUM Art Gallery in November is titled, “ABECEDARIAN”, meaning related to the alphabet. It is a response to the arbitrary way in which our language forms itself.
alphabet => letters => words => sentences =>paragraphs => books, etc.
While this does offer excellent communication tools/ devices, so so much is misunderstood.
September 5 – September 29
Spectrum Art Gallery is proud to present the 2019 New Members’ Exhibition. This exhibition will show a collection of our newest members’ work. Come on down to the gallery for ArtHop and view original and refreshing photographic art by our fine members.
Rachel Clark lives in Fresno with her husband, Alex. She was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley, just south of Fresno. At the tender age of nine, she developed a love for the study of North American birds. As she grew older, it morphed into an all-consuming passion. Rachel earned her degree in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University, and today works as a wildlife biologist, but her primary aspiration is to work as a bird guide in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the surrounding areas. Although she has been watching birds for most of her life, she has only been photographing them for just over a year.
Larry Cusick is an amateur birder and photographer. Now retired from a career in higher education, he is finding time bird, take pictures, play music with friends, and wander in nature. He has never been busier.
Joshua Moulton enjoys being outside and taking photographs of the beauty of nature. He went to school with the intention of being a data guy and ended up getting a job being a data guy. Turns out being a data guy all day every day was driving him a little “batty.” He already liked to hike and travel so Josh figured he’d try taking pictures; it looked fun! It didn’t take long for him to fall in love with the art. Photography means so much more to Joshua than just preserving sanity now.
Bonnie Polson is a local amateur photographer who initially learned photography using black and white film. She now uses a digital camera and gets inspired to shoot when the right light appears. Landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, as well as little details easily overlooked catch her eye and are caught by her camera. Now that her real-world title is “Retired Speech Pathologist”, she intends to spend more time traveling to catch, edit and print her images.
Art Serabian was born and raised in Fresno California. While he has used a camera most of his adult life, his experience was limited to taking an occasional snapshot or documenting events; it wasn’t until he retired that he had time to redefine his craft and truly grow as an artist-photographer. Art enjoys photographing a variety of subject matter including landscape, urban scenes, architecture, creative images, and still life. He creates both color and monochrome images with a mild bias towards monochrome images. Photography is a deeply personal and self-fulfilling proposition for him; his goal is to make images that engage the viewer, taking them along a mental journey filled with memories that trigger the imagination.
Ronald Webb embarked on his photographic journey while teaching life science and physical science classes on the Micronesian island of Kwajalein in 1977. Black and white darkroom photography seemed like a logical hobby choice for a science-oriented guy looking for a creative/expressive outlet. That spark of interest soon became a burning passion. He immersed himself in learning all he could about the art. It wasn’t long before his teaching interest shifted from the sciences to photography. By 1980, he was a full-time photography teacher at Clovis High School in Clovis, California. He continues to photograph for clients and pursue his own personal photographic experiences across the continents. Ronald has always considered his career as a passion that became a profession.
Kathy Wosika studied music and art at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana from 1966-1970 and completed her B.A. and M.A. in Art with an emphasis in Craft Media at California State University, San Diego in 1974. From 1975 – 2012 she coordinated the Craft Program and taught Textile Structures, Hand Papermaking, and Ceramics, as well as 3 Dimensional Design and Art Appreciation at Fresno City College. Since 1988, she has traveled to Africa, Thailand, Mexico, and Ecuador to meet with artists and study traditional paper and textile arts as well as clay work. In 2008 she taught papermaking in Ghana and Morocco and also visited local traditional textile and craft media artists. In 2012, Kathy retired after 37 years in the Art Department at Fresno City College and currently works in her home studio. Not able to abandon music altogether, she also plays fiddle with a local Fresno band called BLIND DOG, which features an eclectic mix of traditional music from Ireland Spain and America. Having taken thousands of photos over the years as a resource and inspirational material, she has only recently begun to personally explore the creative and artistic potentials of this vast world of Photography.
The Spectrum Art Gallery Exhibition Committee is proud to present this selection of non-member artists to share the gallery exhibition space in August 2019. Each committee member was able to extend an invitation to a guest for this show, and we think you will be stunned by the talent we have to present! A little information about each of the artists follows:
Rachel Clark lives in Fresno with her husband, Alex. She was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley, just south of Fresno. At the tender age of nine, she developed a love for the study of North American birds. As she grew older, it morphed into an all-consuming passion. she earned a degree in Animal Ecology from Iowa State University, and today Rachel works as a wildlife biologist, but her primary aspiration is to work as a bird guide in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the surrounding areas.
Michael Frank is an internationally exhibited and award-winning Digital Artist working in the Central Valley of California. Using computer technology and software as his primary medium, he details intensely intricate and imaginary environments that are equally realistic and alien. Themes of Nature and manufactured reality abound in landscapes both surreal and comforting. Mr. Frank is a 30-year veteran of Advertising and Industrial Photography disciplines and currently serves as a managing Board Director for the Sorensen Studio and Galleries.
Al Golub has been a working photographer for almost six decades. He began his professional photojournalism career in the United States Air Force at The Valley Bomber. He then worked for The Modesto Bee for forty years during which he won countless awards and eventually became the Director of Photography. He currently photographs for Cal Fire, Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Conservancy, the San Francisco 49ers, and Oakland Raiders, and covers cattle drives, rodeos, wildland fires, and more for his own pleasure.
Randy Haron is best known in Fresno for being the owner and operator of Haron Jaguar Land Rover, but he is also an accomplished photographer. His unique style of Landscape and Aerial photography is recognized all over the world. His work has been used by The LA Times, New York Post, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fresno Bee. He has also worked with such brands as REI, Travel & Leisure, Frommers, Oakley, Canon, and Maverick Helicopters.
David Hunter is a former photojournalist turned to landscape and nature photographer who moonlights during the day as an elementary school teacher. David has been the Artist-in-Residence at Bighorn National Recreation Area and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. He has photographed projects for several other National Parks as well, including Yosemite, Sequoia, and Great Basin. David has also done contract work for the Bureau of Land Management and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife documenting endangered and threatened species.
Cathy McCrery-Cordle lives in the Western Sierra Foothills with her husband and two children. When her children were young, Cathy began noticing details in nature like blossoms on fruit trees and the way water beaded across leaves after it rained. She began photographing these subjects and experienced a growing sense of excitement and curiosity in photography. In 2008, she purchased her first digital camera and began photographing flowers, dew drops, frosted leaves, etc. She was often drawn to the smallest details in nature that she found so beautiful and her passion for photographing nature took off.
Ronald Webb embarked on his photographic journey while teaching life science and physical science classes on the Micronesian island of Kwajalein in 1977. By 1980, he was a full-time photography teacher at Clovis High School in Clovis, California. Over the years, he got the opportunity to learn more about the art and craft of photography from such notable master photographers as Ted Orland, Morley Bayer, Oliver Gagliani, Al Weber, Robert Dawson, Ray McSavaney, and even had a wonderful learning encounter with Ansel Adams himself.
James Ramirez is a central valley native from the agricultural town of Kingsburg. Always an aspiring creative, it wasn’t until 2011 that James discovered his love of photography. Self-learned through research, trial and error, James has committed fully to a creative way of living, pushing the lines of imagination through his imagery.
July will feature a one-person exhibit by Franka M. Gabler.
ArtHop reception: Thursday, July 11, 2019, 5:00-8:00pm
For several years now, Franka Gabler has been drawing her inspiration from subtle, moody, often intimate landscapes – compositions somewhere between detail/abstract – and the wider view, beyond a mere record of a particular location. Such compositions allow for extracting unique scenes from otherwise well-known places. They often stimulate a viewer to think further, or engage in a more personal way. The light and atmosphere Franka captures in her photographs often result in sentimental impact and ethereal feeling. Mist and fog often allow for interesting compositions and interpretations, concealing distracting elements and leaving only the essence, isolated from larger surroundings, allowing her to feel, focus, and connect with a subject.
“Meditations” is the third exhibit in a series about Franka’s intimate connection and interpretation of natural surroundings. The previous exhibits include “Ethereal” (2015) and “In Sync” (2017).
Her compositions and choice of subjects are intuitive. She doesn’t plan what to photograph on a particular day—instead she gets out there with open senses, waiting to see what draws her attention, hoping to recognize a simple story in a chaotic surrounding: a beam of light, an object that breaks a pattern – or a group of objects that form an interesting pattern, exciting light and atmospheric conditions, balance of stillness and movement… Gentle morning light, tranquility, and peace of untouched nature – where only disturbance is the sound of her own footsteps and breathing, make her appreciate the gift of life, a reminder that we are all part of a larger universe, and letting everyday worries fade away.
Being a scientist and a landscape photographer, Franka M. Gabler developed a fascination, admiration, and respect for nature. Soon after moving to California in 1997, she experienced her first wilderness backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ever since that time, Franka has been photographing the magnificence of the high country mountains and the California landscape.
She lives in the Sierra foothills, in the small mountain town of Coarsegold, not far from Yosemite National Park.
Franka’s photographs are published in several books and publications. 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, Spectrum Fine Art Gallery in Fresno, Ridgeline Gallery in Mariposa, and Circle Gallery in Madera, CA.
You can learn more about her work at: www.frankagabler.com
Have you ever wanted to try one of those amazing, one-off prints you have seen at the Alternative Process Photography show? Now is your chance! This year we have four workshops that are sure to add your photographic repertoire and boost your inspiration!
This year we have four workshops that are sure to add your photographic repertoire and boost your inspiration! Special pricing available when you sign up for more than one workshop, and members save even more. Join now! Each workshop does build upon the other, so attending each is highly recommended and will give you the best experience possible. Registration is open now and all workshops are limited to 4 participants. Call now to reserve your spot!
Download the flyer below:
