FEST X- the openings I made it to…..

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Last nite was the big opening nite for almost 20 foto shows.

I saw tons of folks studying the brochure, making a mental list and planning
their itinerary. Myself, I had a long list but only managed to make it to 3.

WATERSHED, at SPAO, was first because it opened at 5. A semi-subdued affair
highlighted by a two tightly packed rows of fotos, lots of reading and Khalia’s
mom’s incredible cookies.

Khalia’s mom’s kookies, Khalia’s shoes

This is a show that will take some time to fully ingest/digest. The top row of
fotos is recent work from the exhibiting fotogs, the bottom row shows earlier
images from the same fotographers. There’s lots of writing to explain how
the early shots informed the more recent fotos.

Take your time here and you’ll start to understand a bit about the practice of
photography.

Exhibiting fotog Michael Schreier, the Red Wall

I then moved on to Gallery La Petite Mort.

(Full disclosure: I was exhibiting 14 images from BESIDE THE PASSAIC there,
along with a show, GUN CONTROL, by Steven James Brown, on the opposing
wall. Modesty prevents me from discussing my work here. I am, though, as
you know, quite immodest. So, if you want to hear my thoughts on the Passaic
images just scroll down here to about the end of June and you’ll get an earful.)

Steven James Brown was showing a series of stern images of handguns that had
been rendered inoperable by being crushed.

Steven James Brown at La Petite Mort

His approach reminds me of some of the work being done by fotographers from
The Dusseldorf School in Germany. There was a feeling of typology at work here.
As well, you could say that the seductive qualities of Brown’s C-prints, which turn
the weapons into Art, ask all kinds of questions about Weapons, Art and Society.
All in a subtle way.

GUN CONTROL on the LPM wall

As far as the actual opening went….. Because there were so many places to go,
things to see there was a healthy turnover. I was most pleased by the constant flow
of gallery-goers. The place felt full almost all of the time.

And, did I tell you, Steven James Brown and I kinda look alike. I wonder if
he resembles his father as much as I resemble mine?

SJB and me

Finally, like almost everyone else, I ened up at Patrick Gordon Framing. It’s open
late, totally licensed and quickly becoming the place to get down after a nite of
Fest X Gallery-hopping.

I didn’t get much of a chance to study the fotos on the walls. More on that later.
For now…..just a few of the bodies I bumped into there:

Our gracious hosts: Jennifer + Patrick Gordon