THE JOURNEY- SUSAN SPIRITUS > EXHIBITION #2
EXHIBITION #2
LEFT BEHIND by Janet Milhomme
HONORABLE MENTION
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HONORABLE MENTION
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Janet Milhomme says, "All of these images are from my “Edges of Memory” series, which concerns itself not with things as they are but with how we remember them—memory as an altered reality, surreal and dreamlike. Many of the images are symbolic of the journeys and passages we undertake in our lifetimes, and of the passage of time and the deterioration of both memory and matter.
While recently traveling through the area in which I was born and grew up, I was overwhelmed with memories of family and past experiences. All of the images are from that area. I visited a relative who lived on the street portrayed in the photograph, “Sometimes the Way Ahead is Obscured.”
By combining it with two other images, I hoped to portray the ambiguities of the paths we travel in life, the choices we make, and the uncertain future that always lies ahead. In the images “They Waited on the Other Side” and “Left Behind,” I imagined myself leaving my hometown so many years ago as a young woman to embark on a new journey.
In doing so, I left behind all that I had known and loved. Most of my relatives still live there—though many have passed away—and in my dreams I imagine them waiting for my return."
Janet Milhomme is a Los Angeles-based photographer and mixed-media artist. Her work is influenced by a career in journalism and an abiding interest in storytelling.
While her subjects are varied and her portfolios distinct—spanning architectural, documentary and conceptual images—her common focus is on technical precision, artistic composition, and thematic expression.
Her goal is to produce a dynamic with the viewer and provide opportunities for new interpretations.
Janet’s works have been published internationally in newspapers, magazines and books. She has had six solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous juried and group exhibits, some featuring notable curators from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco MOMA, J. Paul Getty Museum, Orange County Museum of Art, and Gagosian Gallery of New York.
She has received awards from many galleries as well as theJulia Margaret Cameron Awards for Women Photographers, the New York Center for Photographic Arts, L.A. Photo Curator, and Women in Photography International (WIPI). Her photos are held in private collections throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Solo Exhibitions
2017 Vanishing Oasis, Gallery H + Studios, Ventura, CA
Edges of Memory, Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA
Collector’s Choice, Thousand Oaks Gallery, Newbury Park, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2018 5th Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography, Barcelona, Spain
Art Matters, The Huntington Library and Art Collections, San Marino, CA
Black and White, Carnegie Center for Creativity, Fort Collins, CO
Hecho a Mano, Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA
Protest, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
Empire of Dirt, Gallery H + Studios, Ventura, CA
L.A. Open, TAG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2017 The Land of Light, Santa Paula Art Museum, Santa Paula, CA
The Thunder of Meaning, Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA
No Restraint, ARK Gallery, Altadena, CA
Field Work: Shadow and Light, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
My Day in L.A., Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
2016 Open Desert, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
The Foolish Game, Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA
Magnus Colo, HUD Gallery, Ventura, CA
tXtMe, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA
Stories, Parables and Tall Tales, Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA
www.janetmilhommephoto.com
While recently traveling through the area in which I was born and grew up, I was overwhelmed with memories of family and past experiences. All of the images are from that area. I visited a relative who lived on the street portrayed in the photograph, “Sometimes the Way Ahead is Obscured.”
By combining it with two other images, I hoped to portray the ambiguities of the paths we travel in life, the choices we make, and the uncertain future that always lies ahead. In the images “They Waited on the Other Side” and “Left Behind,” I imagined myself leaving my hometown so many years ago as a young woman to embark on a new journey.
In doing so, I left behind all that I had known and loved. Most of my relatives still live there—though many have passed away—and in my dreams I imagine them waiting for my return."
Janet Milhomme is a Los Angeles-based photographer and mixed-media artist. Her work is influenced by a career in journalism and an abiding interest in storytelling.
While her subjects are varied and her portfolios distinct—spanning architectural, documentary and conceptual images—her common focus is on technical precision, artistic composition, and thematic expression.
Her goal is to produce a dynamic with the viewer and provide opportunities for new interpretations.
Janet’s works have been published internationally in newspapers, magazines and books. She has had six solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous juried and group exhibits, some featuring notable curators from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco MOMA, J. Paul Getty Museum, Orange County Museum of Art, and Gagosian Gallery of New York.
She has received awards from many galleries as well as theJulia Margaret Cameron Awards for Women Photographers, the New York Center for Photographic Arts, L.A. Photo Curator, and Women in Photography International (WIPI). Her photos are held in private collections throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Solo Exhibitions
2017 Vanishing Oasis, Gallery H + Studios, Ventura, CA
Edges of Memory, Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA
Collector’s Choice, Thousand Oaks Gallery, Newbury Park, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2018 5th Biennial of Fine Art & Documentary Photography, Barcelona, Spain
Art Matters, The Huntington Library and Art Collections, San Marino, CA
Black and White, Carnegie Center for Creativity, Fort Collins, CO
Hecho a Mano, Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA
Protest, Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
Empire of Dirt, Gallery H + Studios, Ventura, CA
L.A. Open, TAG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2017 The Land of Light, Santa Paula Art Museum, Santa Paula, CA
The Thunder of Meaning, Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA
No Restraint, ARK Gallery, Altadena, CA
Field Work: Shadow and Light, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
My Day in L.A., Art Share L.A., Los Angeles, CA
2016 Open Desert, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
The Foolish Game, Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA
Magnus Colo, HUD Gallery, Ventura, CA
tXtMe, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA
Stories, Parables and Tall Tales, Blackboard Gallery, Camarillo, CA
www.janetmilhommephoto.com
SOMETIMES THE WAY AHEAD IS OBSCURED by Janet Milhomme
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THEY WAITED ON THE OTHER SIDE by Janet Milhomme
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JERALDS FEET by Leona Strassberg Steiner
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Leona Strassberg Steiner says, "The series Swamp Rising, raises environmental and political questions that we all are already facing as the waters rise in the Southeast portion of the United States.
The project is comprised of over 20 images and video, which questions who is most likely to be saved and who is not, because of race, economic resources, and the question of which coastal areas are realistically worth saving.
The work is shown as an installation made up of images printed on different substrates, which allow for multiple layering through which video is projected. Each installation in every venue is different to adhere to the space available, lighting, and other variables."
As the water rises,
Who will be left?
Who will be cared for?
As the water rises
Seeping through the grass,
Up to my toes
As the waters rise,
Dreaming of higher ground.
Leona Strassberg Steiner is a photographer, printmaker and former dancer.
Her artwork centers on environmentalism, memories, political transgressions, transitions in life, and life’s beauty. “I enjoy doing projects that can help change the way people look at themselves and others. The end game is seeing how we are all connected on this planet, how we are all one.”
Steiner has exhibited her photographs and prints extensively with solo exhibitions of her work at The Victory Hall Drawing Rooms of Jersey City and the New Jersey City University Visual Arts Gallery. She has participated in many group exhibitions in Spain, California, Illinois, New Jersey, New Orleans, and New York. Leona has been curating PoliticoPopUp, a one-night exhibition with works by artists from around the country, for the past three years.
She as also curated photography shows at 313 Gallery, Jersey City, and her upcoming show New Surroundings at Pietra 912, in New Orleans.
Latest Career Highlights:
2018 Thirty New Orleans Artists, Second Story Gallery, New Orleans, LA, Curated by Gia Hamilton, Charlie Tatum and Emily Wilkerson.
2018 Full Circle, Antenna Gallery, New Orleans, LA, Curated by Rontherin Ratliff
2017/8 Catalyst Collective, Satellite site to Prospect 4, various venues in New Orleans during the months of November thru February.
2017 ImPeach, Online Exhibition, Curated by Patricia Dahlman, https://sites.google.com/view/impeach
2017 Far From the Front Lines, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, Ill., Curated by Dorit Jordan Dotan
The project is comprised of over 20 images and video, which questions who is most likely to be saved and who is not, because of race, economic resources, and the question of which coastal areas are realistically worth saving.
The work is shown as an installation made up of images printed on different substrates, which allow for multiple layering through which video is projected. Each installation in every venue is different to adhere to the space available, lighting, and other variables."
As the water rises,
Who will be left?
Who will be cared for?
As the water rises
Seeping through the grass,
Up to my toes
As the waters rise,
Dreaming of higher ground.
Leona Strassberg Steiner is a photographer, printmaker and former dancer.
Her artwork centers on environmentalism, memories, political transgressions, transitions in life, and life’s beauty. “I enjoy doing projects that can help change the way people look at themselves and others. The end game is seeing how we are all connected on this planet, how we are all one.”
Steiner has exhibited her photographs and prints extensively with solo exhibitions of her work at The Victory Hall Drawing Rooms of Jersey City and the New Jersey City University Visual Arts Gallery. She has participated in many group exhibitions in Spain, California, Illinois, New Jersey, New Orleans, and New York. Leona has been curating PoliticoPopUp, a one-night exhibition with works by artists from around the country, for the past three years.
She as also curated photography shows at 313 Gallery, Jersey City, and her upcoming show New Surroundings at Pietra 912, in New Orleans.
Latest Career Highlights:
2018 Thirty New Orleans Artists, Second Story Gallery, New Orleans, LA, Curated by Gia Hamilton, Charlie Tatum and Emily Wilkerson.
2018 Full Circle, Antenna Gallery, New Orleans, LA, Curated by Rontherin Ratliff
2017/8 Catalyst Collective, Satellite site to Prospect 4, various venues in New Orleans during the months of November thru February.
2017 ImPeach, Online Exhibition, Curated by Patricia Dahlman, https://sites.google.com/view/impeach
2017 Far From the Front Lines, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, Ill., Curated by Dorit Jordan Dotan
KIM'S FEET by Leona Strassberg Steiner
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MIROS FEET by Leona Strassberg Steiner
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GONE ARE THESE DAYS by Lora Gettelfinger
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Lora Gettelfinger says, "Traveling through life is like the ocean tides or river currents, sometimes slow and steady and other times harsh and severe. Water has a magical way of giving life, but can be catastrophic with its natural strength and power.
I find comfort being in water, almost womb-like sensations. No matter what I always find myself wanting and needing bodies of water.
The ocean is my home; it is my mother who is no longer alive, it is the place that brings peace and tranquility. I feel alive swimming among the waves, whether I am floating freely or being crushed by a strong current.
With the influence of water I continue to explore the conscious/subconscious of the human archival storage system in the brain; Working in an analog format I strive to create a visual representation of memories, dreams, and events within the definition of circumvolution."
Lora Gettelfinger (April 27, 1987) was born in Louisville, KY and raised in Palmyra, Indiana.
She received a BFA in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design in the spring of 2009 and has studied abroad in Lacoste, France.
Lora’s work has been exhibited in several states, as well as Hong Kong and France. Currently residing in Brooklyn, NY, she continues to work in photography and video with a new focus using new media, installation, and sound.
http://www.loragettelfinger.com/ (working on a new site currently)
email: loragettelfinger@gmail.com
instagram: @lorawithanoh
I find comfort being in water, almost womb-like sensations. No matter what I always find myself wanting and needing bodies of water.
The ocean is my home; it is my mother who is no longer alive, it is the place that brings peace and tranquility. I feel alive swimming among the waves, whether I am floating freely or being crushed by a strong current.
With the influence of water I continue to explore the conscious/subconscious of the human archival storage system in the brain; Working in an analog format I strive to create a visual representation of memories, dreams, and events within the definition of circumvolution."
Lora Gettelfinger (April 27, 1987) was born in Louisville, KY and raised in Palmyra, Indiana.
She received a BFA in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design in the spring of 2009 and has studied abroad in Lacoste, France.
Lora’s work has been exhibited in several states, as well as Hong Kong and France. Currently residing in Brooklyn, NY, she continues to work in photography and video with a new focus using new media, installation, and sound.
http://www.loragettelfinger.com/ (working on a new site currently)
email: loragettelfinger@gmail.com
instagram: @lorawithanoh
UNTITLED (NIGHTS OF GOODBYE AFTER DUSK-VARKALA) by Lora Gettelfinger
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UNTITLED (WE SHARED WAVES-VARKALA) by Lora Gettelfinger
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LUMINOUS JOURNEY-1 by Marna Bell
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Marna Bell says, "As a painter and photographer I have been drawn to the sacred aspects of the natural environment.
My current project, "Luminous Journey", began as a road trip from Santa Cruz California to Yosemite National Park. The inspiration for this photographic series stems from the romantic play of light on the landscape and monochrome colors of the Hudson River School and the Luminist Movement of the American West. This work focuses on historical traditions of landscape painting and my personal journey through an unknown environment.
I have been experimenting with a new printing process called Piezography. It is a system of monochromatic ink shades, which produce tens of thousands of gray levels, giving the archival print exceptional depth.
These pigments also reflect light in a way that resonates with the intentions of both the Luminists and the Hudson River School. Like these seminal movements, Piezography presents an exciting new frontier for the creation and presentation of my work."
Marna Bell was born in Brooklyn, New York. She received a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA from Syracuse University in painting and photography. Her focus as an artist has been on recalling memories and revisiting past experiences. Bell has exhibited nationally in museums, galleries and colleges. Most recently, her work was exhibited at the Javits Center for the 2nd Annual Photography Contest held by Photoplus Expo in 2017. She has been published in Black and White magazine.
She has exhibited in group shows at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Inst., Utica, NY, and Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY. Her book “Hudson Past/Perfect” is in the artist book section of the Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York City. Bell's work was included in the 2008 Everson Museum Biennial.
CV Highlights:
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2014 Passages in Time, Edgewood Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2013 Imperfect Memories, Light Work, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2011 Light Work Juried Members Exhibition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2008 Air and Water, Rome Art and Community Center, Rome, NY
2007 Cycle of Life – Green Lakes, The Warehouse Gallery, Syracuse, NY
1973 Clarion State College, Clarion, PA
1972 Everson Museum, Syracuse. NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2018 Journeys Past and Present, Edgewood Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2017 2nd Annual Photography Contest, Photoplus Expo, Javits Center, New York, NY
Root, L.A. Photo Curator, Online Group Exhibition #3
2016 Made in New York, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
Landmarks, Albany International Airport, Albany, NY
2015 2nd Open Call Juried Photography Exhibition, Peter Miller Fine Art, Providence, RI
Manifestation & Ambiguity, Gallery 4040, Syracuse, NY
Made in New York, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
Focal Point Q1.15, Crusade For Art, Online Exhibition
PUBLICATIONS, COLLECTIONS, AWARDS, COMMISSIONS & GRANTS:
2018 Calling in a Camera, Interview, Central New York Magazine
2017 Photo Review 2017 Competition Issue, The Photo Review
2015 Verso, Crusade for Art Online Auction
Focal Point Q1.15, Crusade for Art Online Publication
iGavel Photography Auction, Daniel Cooney Gallery
2014 Black and White Magazine December 2014 Issue, Interview and Portfolio Spotlight
"Same But Different" Book, Jurors Selection by Darren Ching, NYCA4PA
Contact Info:
marnabell@earthlink.net
www.marnabell.com
My current project, "Luminous Journey", began as a road trip from Santa Cruz California to Yosemite National Park. The inspiration for this photographic series stems from the romantic play of light on the landscape and monochrome colors of the Hudson River School and the Luminist Movement of the American West. This work focuses on historical traditions of landscape painting and my personal journey through an unknown environment.
I have been experimenting with a new printing process called Piezography. It is a system of monochromatic ink shades, which produce tens of thousands of gray levels, giving the archival print exceptional depth.
These pigments also reflect light in a way that resonates with the intentions of both the Luminists and the Hudson River School. Like these seminal movements, Piezography presents an exciting new frontier for the creation and presentation of my work."
Marna Bell was born in Brooklyn, New York. She received a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA from Syracuse University in painting and photography. Her focus as an artist has been on recalling memories and revisiting past experiences. Bell has exhibited nationally in museums, galleries and colleges. Most recently, her work was exhibited at the Javits Center for the 2nd Annual Photography Contest held by Photoplus Expo in 2017. She has been published in Black and White magazine.
She has exhibited in group shows at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Inst., Utica, NY, and Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY. Her book “Hudson Past/Perfect” is in the artist book section of the Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York City. Bell's work was included in the 2008 Everson Museum Biennial.
CV Highlights:
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2014 Passages in Time, Edgewood Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2013 Imperfect Memories, Light Work, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2011 Light Work Juried Members Exhibition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2008 Air and Water, Rome Art and Community Center, Rome, NY
2007 Cycle of Life – Green Lakes, The Warehouse Gallery, Syracuse, NY
1973 Clarion State College, Clarion, PA
1972 Everson Museum, Syracuse. NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2018 Journeys Past and Present, Edgewood Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2017 2nd Annual Photography Contest, Photoplus Expo, Javits Center, New York, NY
Root, L.A. Photo Curator, Online Group Exhibition #3
2016 Made in New York, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
Landmarks, Albany International Airport, Albany, NY
2015 2nd Open Call Juried Photography Exhibition, Peter Miller Fine Art, Providence, RI
Manifestation & Ambiguity, Gallery 4040, Syracuse, NY
Made in New York, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
Focal Point Q1.15, Crusade For Art, Online Exhibition
PUBLICATIONS, COLLECTIONS, AWARDS, COMMISSIONS & GRANTS:
2018 Calling in a Camera, Interview, Central New York Magazine
2017 Photo Review 2017 Competition Issue, The Photo Review
2015 Verso, Crusade for Art Online Auction
Focal Point Q1.15, Crusade for Art Online Publication
iGavel Photography Auction, Daniel Cooney Gallery
2014 Black and White Magazine December 2014 Issue, Interview and Portfolio Spotlight
"Same But Different" Book, Jurors Selection by Darren Ching, NYCA4PA
Contact Info:
marnabell@earthlink.net
www.marnabell.com
LUMINOUS JOURNEY-2 by Marna Bell
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LUMINOUS JOURNEY-3 by Marna Bell
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PSEUDO NIGHT 1 by Mary-Megan Roussos
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Mary-Megan Roussos says, "My current works explore the representation and sublimation of walking through a landscape.
These night images reflect a narrative of a suspended moment in time that only happens during long walks.
These images were photographed during the day, but represent night moonscapes where I feel the most intimate with the landscape. I am interested in questioning what is real and how is it best to represent a reconstructed landscape of heightened authentic experiences."
Mary-Megan Roussos is a second year MFA student at East Tennessee State University.
After earning a BS in Photojournalism from Ohio University, she completed the Triple Crown walking nearly 8,000 miles. Recent explorations reflect this cathartic journey which deepened her bond to the land. Roussos undergoes long walks to create works that meditate on thoughts of time, simplicity, impact, and walking.
www.megroussos.com
These night images reflect a narrative of a suspended moment in time that only happens during long walks.
These images were photographed during the day, but represent night moonscapes where I feel the most intimate with the landscape. I am interested in questioning what is real and how is it best to represent a reconstructed landscape of heightened authentic experiences."
Mary-Megan Roussos is a second year MFA student at East Tennessee State University.
After earning a BS in Photojournalism from Ohio University, she completed the Triple Crown walking nearly 8,000 miles. Recent explorations reflect this cathartic journey which deepened her bond to the land. Roussos undergoes long walks to create works that meditate on thoughts of time, simplicity, impact, and walking.
www.megroussos.com
PSEUDO NIGHT 2 by Mary-Megan Roussos
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PSEUDO NIGHT 3 by Mary-Megan Roussos
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AUBERGINE by Melissa Gamez
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Melissa Gamez says, "The intended path of a journey will often lead you to an unexpected destination. I find this to be true of both physical and artistic journeys.
These images began as a traditional exploration of a common every day environment – my favorite junkyard, and evolved into a series of redefined preconceived notions of place. These images attempt to celebrate the allurement of the forgotten and forsaken by examining our surroundings through a different set of parameters."
Melissa Gamez is engaged in all aspects of visual design and image making, but is focused on image manipulation, mixed media, and digital collage.
She is an assistant professor in the New Media Design and Interior Architecture and Design departments at Queens University.
With a background in environmental design and computer visualization, she is also the principal designer at Gamez Creative in Charlotte, North Carolina, a graphic and web design company that creates visual solutions for branding, layout, photography, illustration, packaging, social media, and animation.
Melissa has worked both nationally and internationally in the fields of architecture, video games, television commercials, photography, graphic design, web design, and academia.
Her work can be seen in national advertising campaigns for M&M Mars, Tropicana, Bayer, Hallmark, and Clorox Bleach created by Will Vinton Studios (now Laika) and in gaming environments created by Electronic Arts/Westwood Studios in Las Vegas.
www.GamezCreative.com
These images began as a traditional exploration of a common every day environment – my favorite junkyard, and evolved into a series of redefined preconceived notions of place. These images attempt to celebrate the allurement of the forgotten and forsaken by examining our surroundings through a different set of parameters."
Melissa Gamez is engaged in all aspects of visual design and image making, but is focused on image manipulation, mixed media, and digital collage.
She is an assistant professor in the New Media Design and Interior Architecture and Design departments at Queens University.
With a background in environmental design and computer visualization, she is also the principal designer at Gamez Creative in Charlotte, North Carolina, a graphic and web design company that creates visual solutions for branding, layout, photography, illustration, packaging, social media, and animation.
Melissa has worked both nationally and internationally in the fields of architecture, video games, television commercials, photography, graphic design, web design, and academia.
Her work can be seen in national advertising campaigns for M&M Mars, Tropicana, Bayer, Hallmark, and Clorox Bleach created by Will Vinton Studios (now Laika) and in gaming environments created by Electronic Arts/Westwood Studios in Las Vegas.
www.GamezCreative.com
EMERGING by Melissa Gamez
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INTO THE LIGHT by Melissa Gamez
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ALISTER & SHERIE by Michael Joseph
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Michael Joseph says, "Lost and Found is a portrait series that examines the individual souls of lost youth who abandon home to travel around the country by hitchhiking and freight train hopping.
Within their personal journey driven by wanderlust, escapism or a search for transient jobs, they find a new family in their traveling friends.
They are photographed on public streets using natural light, in the space in which they are found.
Like graffiti on the walls of the city streets they inhabit and the trains they ride, their bodies and faces become the visual storybook of their lives.
Their clothing is often a mismatch of found items. Jackets, pants and vests are self-made like a patchwork quilt, using fabric pieces of a fellow traveler’s clothing embellished by metal bottle caps, buttons, safety pins, lighter parts, syringe caps, and patches. The high of freedom however, does not come without consequence. Their lifestyle is physically risky and rampant with substance abuse.
Each traveler’s story is different, but they are bound by a sense of community. Often unseen and mistaken by their appearances, they are some of the kindest people one might meet. Their souls are open and their gift is time. As one states, “They will give you their time because time is all they have.” And in some cases, in the family they have lost, they have found each other."
Michael Joseph is a street and street portrait photographer. Raised just outside of New York City, his inspirations are drawn from interactions with strangers on city streets and aims to afford his audience the same experience through his photographs.
His portraits are made on the street, unplanned and up close to allow the viewer to explore the immediate and unseen.
Michael’s project “Lost and Found” has been featured on CNN.com,
Vice.com, AllAboutPhoto.com and published in magazines internationally. He has been exhibited internationally, notably in the Aperture Gallery (New York, NY), Daniel Cooney Fine Art (New York, NY), The Getty Images Gallery (London, UK), and the Rayko Gallery (San Francisco, CA).
His portraits are held in the permanent collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Indiana and private collections. He is a 2016 Photolucida Top 50 winner, LensCulture Portrait Award Finalist and a recipient of the fellowship in photography from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He is represented by Daniel Cooney Fine Art (New York, NY).
www.michaeljosephphotographics.com
www.instagram.com/michaeljosephphoto
www.facebook.com/michaeljphotographics
Within their personal journey driven by wanderlust, escapism or a search for transient jobs, they find a new family in their traveling friends.
They are photographed on public streets using natural light, in the space in which they are found.
Like graffiti on the walls of the city streets they inhabit and the trains they ride, their bodies and faces become the visual storybook of their lives.
Their clothing is often a mismatch of found items. Jackets, pants and vests are self-made like a patchwork quilt, using fabric pieces of a fellow traveler’s clothing embellished by metal bottle caps, buttons, safety pins, lighter parts, syringe caps, and patches. The high of freedom however, does not come without consequence. Their lifestyle is physically risky and rampant with substance abuse.
Each traveler’s story is different, but they are bound by a sense of community. Often unseen and mistaken by their appearances, they are some of the kindest people one might meet. Their souls are open and their gift is time. As one states, “They will give you their time because time is all they have.” And in some cases, in the family they have lost, they have found each other."
Michael Joseph is a street and street portrait photographer. Raised just outside of New York City, his inspirations are drawn from interactions with strangers on city streets and aims to afford his audience the same experience through his photographs.
His portraits are made on the street, unplanned and up close to allow the viewer to explore the immediate and unseen.
Michael’s project “Lost and Found” has been featured on CNN.com,
Vice.com, AllAboutPhoto.com and published in magazines internationally. He has been exhibited internationally, notably in the Aperture Gallery (New York, NY), Daniel Cooney Fine Art (New York, NY), The Getty Images Gallery (London, UK), and the Rayko Gallery (San Francisco, CA).
His portraits are held in the permanent collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Indiana and private collections. He is a 2016 Photolucida Top 50 winner, LensCulture Portrait Award Finalist and a recipient of the fellowship in photography from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He is represented by Daniel Cooney Fine Art (New York, NY).
www.michaeljosephphotographics.com
www.instagram.com/michaeljosephphoto
www.facebook.com/michaeljphotographics
BILLY HIGHSAIL by Michael Joseph
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TRAINDOC by Michael Joseph
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DUMB AND DUMBER and R.J. Kern
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R.J. Kern says, "Since 2012, I have journeyed to Ireland, Germany, Norway, and Iceland to investigate my pastoral roots. When I arrived, I discovered that throughout history, my people and their land have been supported by these animals – goat, sheep, and ram. These animals drove the economy for generations and were sources of income and sustenance.
The hoofed animals are both banal and mythical. My attraction to these animals springs from an affinity for their calm presences and their innate functional beauty.
They have been shaped by the landscapes they inhabit and the lives they lead, exploring across cultural boundaries and geographic lines. While I have spent most of my life on the move, much like these animals, but these animals taught me that roaming can sustain and anchor. Together this journey has culminated in growing roots with my two children, Olaf and Hazel, for which two of these works are named."
R. J. Kern (b. 1978) is an American artist whose work explores ideas of home, ancestry, and a sense of place through the interaction of people, animals, and cultural landscapes."
His work has been exhibited in a number of notable exhibitions, including at the Museum of Modern Art (Tbilisi, Georgia), National Portrait Gallery (London, UK), and the Yixian International Photography Festival (Anhui, China) among others.
Awards and accolades include CENTER 2017 Choice Award Winner, Curator's Choice (First Place), PDN's 30 2018, Photolucida Critical Mass 2018 Top 50, the 2017 TAYLOR WESSING Photographic Portrait Prize (Finalist), and he is the recipient of two Artist Initiative Grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board (2016, 2018).
Kern's work has been presented in a number of publications, including a feature in National Geographic (November 2017), with his series The Unchosen Ones and Out To Pasture. In 2018, Kern published his first monograph with Kehrer Verlag titled, The Sheep and the Goats, awarded one of "The Most Beautiful German Books 2018,” by Stiftung Buchkunst.
Public collections holding his work include the Center for Creative Photography, the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Plains Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg.
In 2019, R. J. will have a solo shows at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa, FL.
He is represented by the Klompching Gallery in New York and Burnet Fine Art & Advisory in Minnesota.
R. J. lives in an urban Scandanavian farmhouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife, Krista, and two kids, ages two and three.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
+ CENTER 2017 Choice Award Winner Curator's Choice (First Place awarded by Corey Keller, Curator of Photography, SF Museum of Modern Art)
+ Second Place, 2017 International Juried Exhibition juried by Philip Brookman (Consulting Curator, National Galley of Art, Washington, DC), Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA
+ Photolucida Critical Mass 2018 Top 50,
+ The 2017 TAYLOR WESSING Photographic Portrait Prize (Finalist), a feature in National Geographic magazine (November 2017),
+ PDN's 30 2018
+ Public collection acquisitions including the Center for Creative Photography, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, and the General Mills Corporate Art Collection
www.rjkern.com
{instagram} @Kernphotoeffekt
The hoofed animals are both banal and mythical. My attraction to these animals springs from an affinity for their calm presences and their innate functional beauty.
They have been shaped by the landscapes they inhabit and the lives they lead, exploring across cultural boundaries and geographic lines. While I have spent most of my life on the move, much like these animals, but these animals taught me that roaming can sustain and anchor. Together this journey has culminated in growing roots with my two children, Olaf and Hazel, for which two of these works are named."
R. J. Kern (b. 1978) is an American artist whose work explores ideas of home, ancestry, and a sense of place through the interaction of people, animals, and cultural landscapes."
His work has been exhibited in a number of notable exhibitions, including at the Museum of Modern Art (Tbilisi, Georgia), National Portrait Gallery (London, UK), and the Yixian International Photography Festival (Anhui, China) among others.
Awards and accolades include CENTER 2017 Choice Award Winner, Curator's Choice (First Place), PDN's 30 2018, Photolucida Critical Mass 2018 Top 50, the 2017 TAYLOR WESSING Photographic Portrait Prize (Finalist), and he is the recipient of two Artist Initiative Grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board (2016, 2018).
Kern's work has been presented in a number of publications, including a feature in National Geographic (November 2017), with his series The Unchosen Ones and Out To Pasture. In 2018, Kern published his first monograph with Kehrer Verlag titled, The Sheep and the Goats, awarded one of "The Most Beautiful German Books 2018,” by Stiftung Buchkunst.
Public collections holding his work include the Center for Creative Photography, the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Plains Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg.
In 2019, R. J. will have a solo shows at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa, FL.
He is represented by the Klompching Gallery in New York and Burnet Fine Art & Advisory in Minnesota.
R. J. lives in an urban Scandanavian farmhouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife, Krista, and two kids, ages two and three.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
+ CENTER 2017 Choice Award Winner Curator's Choice (First Place awarded by Corey Keller, Curator of Photography, SF Museum of Modern Art)
+ Second Place, 2017 International Juried Exhibition juried by Philip Brookman (Consulting Curator, National Galley of Art, Washington, DC), Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA
+ Photolucida Critical Mass 2018 Top 50,
+ The 2017 TAYLOR WESSING Photographic Portrait Prize (Finalist), a feature in National Geographic magazine (November 2017),
+ PDN's 30 2018
+ Public collection acquisitions including the Center for Creative Photography, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, and the General Mills Corporate Art Collection
www.rjkern.com
{instagram} @Kernphotoeffekt
HAZEL by R.J. Kern
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OLAF by R.J. Kern
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I AM: A FOREVER FLOWER CHILD by Roxanne Darling
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Roxanne Darling says, "I have a series of nude portraits in the landscape - all taken where something in the natural environment called on me to retrieve yet another piece of myself that had been buried for so long.
In short, I was raised on formal southern manners and strict corporate protocols. Hiding in the shadows, childhood sexual abuse fed my perfectionism, lest my imperfect true self be outed.
Now, at age 65, I am stripping away as much artifice as I can, in hopes that the energy of self-acceptance and the stunning support of nature can speak to others, too.
Clothing and makeup define and contain us so much. I’m drawn at this stage of my life to stop worrying about how to ‘dress to impress’ and also how to make un-retouched, beautiful images that include a 65 year old woman.
Being in nature has long been my saving grace, keeping me from falling into various depths of depression and desperation. I want to return the favor and create imagery that conveys the beauty of self-acceptance, regardless of the pains and pitfalls that life presents us. I also want to bring more of the female gaze to the community of nude portraiture.
I have short narratives I’m writing for each image, as I also have a love for words!
I am an emerging artist who works in several diverse mediums. I am very interested in conceptual art and find that each different medium helps me express and communicate my ideas as they appear. I’ve similarly worked in many different professions in my life, from marine biologist to ballet dancer to public speaker to technology consultant. It’s a wild mix on the surface, but each one served my path of self-knowledge and enriched my world view. I am self-taught — seeking training and expertise as my desire to participate in things or express myself led the way. Knowledge and acceptance, for myself and the world I live in, are the defining elements of my journey."
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
2016: Voyaging - Juried Exhibition at the Hui Noʻeau on Maui
“I AM: Emerging from 1s and 0s” - original acrylic painting
2018: Electron Salon - Curated Exhibition at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art (2 images selected)
2018: The Creative Portrait (Online Exhibit) - Los Angeles Center of Photography, David Fahey and Nicholas Fahey, Jurors (3 images selected)
www.roxannedarling.com
In short, I was raised on formal southern manners and strict corporate protocols. Hiding in the shadows, childhood sexual abuse fed my perfectionism, lest my imperfect true self be outed.
Now, at age 65, I am stripping away as much artifice as I can, in hopes that the energy of self-acceptance and the stunning support of nature can speak to others, too.
Clothing and makeup define and contain us so much. I’m drawn at this stage of my life to stop worrying about how to ‘dress to impress’ and also how to make un-retouched, beautiful images that include a 65 year old woman.
Being in nature has long been my saving grace, keeping me from falling into various depths of depression and desperation. I want to return the favor and create imagery that conveys the beauty of self-acceptance, regardless of the pains and pitfalls that life presents us. I also want to bring more of the female gaze to the community of nude portraiture.
I have short narratives I’m writing for each image, as I also have a love for words!
I am an emerging artist who works in several diverse mediums. I am very interested in conceptual art and find that each different medium helps me express and communicate my ideas as they appear. I’ve similarly worked in many different professions in my life, from marine biologist to ballet dancer to public speaker to technology consultant. It’s a wild mix on the surface, but each one served my path of self-knowledge and enriched my world view. I am self-taught — seeking training and expertise as my desire to participate in things or express myself led the way. Knowledge and acceptance, for myself and the world I live in, are the defining elements of my journey."
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
2016: Voyaging - Juried Exhibition at the Hui Noʻeau on Maui
“I AM: Emerging from 1s and 0s” - original acrylic painting
2018: Electron Salon - Curated Exhibition at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art (2 images selected)
2018: The Creative Portrait (Online Exhibit) - Los Angeles Center of Photography, David Fahey and Nicholas Fahey, Jurors (3 images selected)
www.roxannedarling.com
I AM: DISCUSSING AGE AT SUNSET WITH A SAGUARO by Roxanne Darling
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Words:
I AM: Discussing age at sunset with a saguaro
I learn, the saguaro stands still,
singular and self-contained
for up to 90 years
before growing an arm.
I mention, that
I’ve often felt like a puppet,
too many arms tangling
in things I don’t really care about.
Sun setting.
Tucking my arms in.
Still standing.
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Words:
I AM: Discussing age at sunset with a saguaro
I learn, the saguaro stands still,
singular and self-contained
for up to 90 years
before growing an arm.
I mention, that
I’ve often felt like a puppet,
too many arms tangling
in things I don’t really care about.
Sun setting.
Tucking my arms in.
Still standing.
I AM: NOT SHIVERING IN THIS COLD SEA by Roxanne Darling
(Click on image for larger view)
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'The Journey' Home:
First Place:
Second Place:
Third Place:
Honorable Mentions:
Best Series:
Exhibition #1:
Exhibition #2:
Exhibition #3:
