PHIG 2006 Juried Group Show: Prospectus

Pacific Art League, Norton Gallery

Show Dates: August 1-31, 2006

Show Title: Captured Light

Reception: Friday, August 4th, 6-9pm

Overview: The Photography Interest Group (PHIG) is composed of photographers affiliated with the Pacific Art League. All Pacific Art League members are welcome to enter this juried photography show. All photographic-based media are accepted (film, digital & manipulated).

Key Dates:

    * Artwork drop off at Pacific Art League, Norton Gallery, 2nd floor

      Wed - Fri, July 26-28, 9-5pm (or by appointment)

    * Jury and hang the show, Saturday, July 29

    * Reception and Awards, Friday, August 4, 6-9pm, awards at 7pm

    * Artwork pick up at Pacific Art League, Storage room

      Starting Friday, September 1, 9am-5pm

The Juror: Saelon Renkes is a noted Bay Area photographer and educator with a diverse body of work. For more information, please see www.saelon.com

Fees and Requirements:

    * You must be a member of the Art League to participate

    * Entry fee is $15 per framed piece, $20 for two, or $25 for three framed pieces

    * Limited to 3 works maximum (the juror may choose to include 1, 2 or none)

    * All frames must be no larger than 32" in either dimension

    * Use of black frames and white mats for a uniform look is strongly encouraged

    * All works must be framed and ready to hang (with a wire)

    * The Art League takes a 40% commission on any sales from the show

    * All work must be for sale

    * All work must be clearly labeled with your name, title and price

    * Entry fees will be used to:

           Produce a show postcard

           Compensate the juror and the winners

           Provide snacks and drinks for the reception

More Info: For further information, please email phig@pacificartleague.org or contact Pete Zivkov, 650-533-8862.

PHIG 2006 Juried Group Show: Juror Comments by Saelon Renkes

It was a genuine pleasure to be given the honor of jurying this wonderful exhibition. The quality (and quantity) of work was astonishing, and it was a very difficult job, and yet the beauty and craftsmanship on display in these photographs made every minute of the job a great pleasure. It is unfortunate that the display space isn’t larger, as it was truly a shame to have to exclude so many wonderful photographs, and I want to assure those of you who did not get in the show that, in most cases, your work would have also been included if space had permitted. After the first couple of rounds of culling, everything remaining should have been shown, but it was still far too many pieces to fit.

Each juror has different criteria for selecting any given show. In this show I first went through the work removing those few pieces that were lacking in printing quality or in presentation, and then I removed the pieces that didn’t engage me in any personal way – while trying to be open-minded about them all. Of the remaining pieces (probably 75 or 80 still remaining) I endeavored to include as many as possible. I worked through this by arranging the strongest pieces as anchors in specific areas and then choosing pieces that would hang well near those pieces. This made the best possible show, but as you can see, it did not rank each and every piece. Many of those excluded were as “good” as many of those included.

Giving the awards to individual pieces was made very difficult by the large number of strong, beautiful photographs. Each time I went through the list of the strongest (more than could possibly be given awards) I would find myself leaning in a different direction. Should the awards go to the most technically perfect photographs? Or perhaps to those with the strongest emotional pull? Or to those who have taken the biggest risks and managed to pull them off successfully? To those which are most likely to be of the biggest value in the commercial gallery world? Or to those which I will personally remember the longest? I ended up using a little of each of these possible methods.

I can’t possibly choose without also sharing my list of the finalists for the awards:

1. •Romain Agostini: Brittlebush
   

2. •Larry Calof: Goosenecks of the Colorado
   

3. •Dotti Cichon: Figure #2: Pipevine Swallowtail
   

4. •Adrienne Defendi: Untitled (child and ball in puddle with rain)
   

5. •Goidfrey DiGiorgi: Tate Modern #36
   

6. •John Eaton: Shafts I 
   

7. •Rebecca Fogg: At the Edge
   

8. •Bob Terrebonne: Sunset at 36,000 feet
   

9. •Deborah Mills Thackrey: Lake Union Reflection #500
   

10. •Mathias Van Hesemans: Weeping Rock, Zion
    

11. •Leping Zha: Buddha’s Palm
    

12. •Leping Zha: Whale Head
    

13. •Pete Zivkov: Clouds Rest
    

So now, for the final choices:

First Place goes to Leping Zha for Whale Head. All of the images Zha submitted were superb in composition and in printing quality. In Whale Head the clouds are almost palpable, I find myself transported to these peaceful mountains and nearly dizzy from watching the clouds rolling over them.

Second Place goes to Larry Calof for Goosenecks of the Colorado. This is another slightly dizzying image, at least for those who are the least bit acrophobic. This section of the Colorado has been photographed quite a lot, and yet Calof’s image of it stands out as unique. He has crafted an image that is technically as near perfect as one can get and at the same time has a strong emotional pull, it has a real sense of serenity and solitude and at the same time has some of the strongest colors I’ve ever seen come off an inkjet printer.

Third Place goes to Rebecca Fogg for At the Edge. This is one of the quietest pieces in the entire exhibition, but not to be overlooked. Go in for a close look at this serene beauty. The light is bright yet soft and the colors are delicate.  Fogg has studied the scene carefully and searched out all the most sensuous lines and interesting details, then skillfully accentuated them with handwork on the print.

The following should receive Honorable Mention:

Adrienne Defendi for Untitled (child and ball in puddle with rain).  This is a wonderfully moody image of childhood, and beautifully printed.

Mathias Van Hesemans for Weeping Rock, Zion.  This is a gorgeous print that really captures light with both the sunburst and the wonderful light on the individual streams of water flowing off the rock.

Saelon Renkes

August 2006

www.saelon.com

PHIG 2006 Group Show: Juried Artists and Photos

Photographer                Title                                           Media                                       

Romain Agostini           Crop Circle on Granite            Archival Pigment Print

Romain Agostini           Brittlebush                             Archival Pigment Print

Mary Bartnikowski        Full Moon in Bali                     Silver Gelatin Print

Jay Bergman                Glass Splash                            Archival Pigment Print

Larry Calof                  Guardian Angel                        Archival Pigment Print

Larry Calof                  Goosenecks of the Colorado     Archival Pigment Print

Marshall Cetlin             Love in Bloom                         Archival Pigment Print

Ditti Cichon                 Fig #2: Pipevine Swallowtail     Archival Pigment Print on Somerset

Nancy H. Cole              Hank                                       Archival Pigment Print

Joe Decker                  Signature of the Sun: Burble     Chromogenic Print

Adrienne Defendi         Untitled                                  Archival Pigment Print

Adrienne Defendi         Untitled                                  Archival Pigment Print

Goidfrey DiGiorgi         Tate Modern #36                      Archival Pigment Print

Gil Draper                    Kelp #3                                   Archival Pigment Print

John Eaton                   Fern Grove II                           Archival Pigment Print

John Eaton                   Shafts I                                   Silver Gelatin Print

Rebecca Fogg               At The Edge #4                        Inkjet Print, Watercolor, Pencil

Mario Giordano             Glacier Point                          Silver Gelatin Print

Donnasue Jacobi           Magnolia "Star Wars" Open      Silver Gelatin Print with Oils

Lisa Leinbaugh              The Fire Within Archival         Pigment Print

Deborah Mills Thackrey  Lake Union Reflection #500    Archival Pigment Print

Jackson Nichols             Stairwell, Fort Point               Silver Gelatin Print

Fred Roessler                Calla #3                                  Silver Gelatin Print with Oils

Gabrielle Rondell          California St. San Francisco     Chromogenic Print

Larry Shapiro DeAnza    Parking Structure #1                Bromoil

Larry Shapiro Stevens    Creek Dam, Full Moon             Toned Silver Gelatin Print

Jack Simon                    Light Pattern                          Archival Pigment Print

Jim Starr                       Grey Buds                               Archival Dye Print

Rick Stultz                     Blowfish                                 Archival Pigment Print

Bob Terrebonne             Sunset at 36,000 feet              Archival Pigment Print

Jim Tobin Electric          Star at Night                           Chromogenic Print

Jerry Tomanek               Flowering Quince                    Archival Pigment Print

Mathias Van Hesemans    Weeping Rock, Zion                Silver Gelatin Print

Marvin Wax                    Illuminated Cacti                    Archival Pigment Print

Nancy Wong                   Lotus Leaves                           Chromogenic Print

Leping Zha                     Buddha's Palm                         Carbon Pigment Print

Leping Zha                     Whale Head                            Carbon Pigment Print

Pete Zivkov                    Cloud's Rest                            Archival Pigment Print on Aluminum Plate