“Colorado Aperture” is a new photography exhibit, hosted by the Littleton Fine Arts Guild at the Depot Art Gallery, which received 319 entries from about 80 photographers. Seventy-five images are …
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The Depot Art Gallery is at 2069 W. Powers Ave., Littleton. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. 303-795-0781. Admission free.
“Colorado Aperture” is a new photography exhibit, hosted by the Littleton Fine Arts Guild at the Depot Art Gallery, which received 319 entries from about 80 photographers. Seventy-five images are displayed in the gallery through Oct. 7 with a variety of techniques, presentations and subjects. Be sure to look to the right of the front door for a photograph by juror Bill Youmans, who presented awards to winners at the reception on Sept. 14.
In a statement that appeared with the application on callforentry.org, Youmans, who has been a professional photographer for 40 years, as well as an educator and is “currently multimedia journalist for Littleton Public Schools,” said he doesn’t worry about how the image is created, but learned early that the elements of composition and qualities of light are important as well as a photograph’s ability to make the viewer “feel something.”
Nancy Myer commented that he cared about results versus process. (She is a member of Focus Photography Club, which meets in Lone Tree.)
Co-chairs Nancy Myer and Joe Bonito suggested to the Littleton Fine Arts Guild Board that they host an open-to-Colorado-photographers exhibit, similar to the popular All-Colorado Art Show, hosted at the Depot during Western Welcome Week. Most Depot exhibits display artwork by members only — and occasional guests — on different themes. They are held throughout the year in the little red Santa Fe Depot.
An advantage to the open shows is that more people in the arts communities become aware of this nice gallery, converted from its historic past use during the bicentennial year by guild members to give it a new life. Membership has increased recently, drawing both painters and photographers — and a few, such as potters, who work in three dimensions.
Youmans selected “Joaquin,” a monochrome photograph by Ron Cooper, as Best of Show. The portrait of a handsome, dignified American Indian man, with a blanket around his shoulders, wearing lots silver jewelry, leads a viewer to start making up stories about him right away. (That would certainly indicate the “feeling something” Youmans mentions.) What is he thinking about? What do those intense dark eyes see out there? Is he about to speak?
First Place winner is Claudia Courtney’s “Sunflowers at Sunset” a happy-looking field of yellow, printed on aluminum, which gives a lively high-gloss finish. They look sort of like a garden on the road to Oz, with mountains in the background! Magical.
Second Place went to Lowell Baumunk for “Madrid,” an archival inkjet print. and Third Place was awarded to Claudia Courtney’s “Keys in the Ignition,” an imaginative look at a rusty old dashboard and its surroundings (versus showing the whole vehicle.) Is it about to set off on one more trip somewhere?
Honorable mentions were awarded to: “Rustic Door” by Peggy Dietz; “Color Theory” by Dwight Taylor and “Tangier Abstract” by Peggy Wait.
Plan to spend some time with this exhibit — there are so many intriguing images of our world, from up-close and far away ... so many ways of seeing.
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