Look Closely: First Solo Art Exhibition ***EXCLUSIVE!***
HOT SHOT PRESS has been given the exclusive rights to cover my first solo art exhibition. The show is hanging in a private gallery so this might be your only chance to see it (though the images do look better matted and framed if I do say so myself).
The images below have been re-sized so as not to take up tons of space and they are copyrighted--so please be a sport and contact me if you'd like to reproduce them in any way.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, Look Closely: A Show in Five Small Works.
~~~
Meghan King Johnson – Artist Statement
With this particular body of work, my goal is to create a response in the viewer by presenting discarded or ordinary items in such a way that the viewer will respond to their unexpected beauty, as well as make the viewer think about his or her own associations with the objects. In some cases, the viewer might also imagine the stories of the people associated with the objects presented.
In my photography, I like to look at everyday objects in a new light and from a fresh angle, such as in black and white, close-up, via a reflection, etc., and seek out an interesting and pleasing image through variations in shape and light.
These works also conjure up feelings of “things are not what they seem” / “something is amiss.” For example, in Door in the Floor one might wonder after observing the photo carefully: “Is that door sideways? Why?” or in Dead Horses and Fence Image Two: “Are those horses real? Why are they upside down?” or in Reflection of the Sky in a Grassy Mud Puddle,“Is that the sky or or a reflection of the sky? Is it the sun, or is it the moon?”
Themes of abandonment, disregard and “overseen / overlooked” also echo throughout this collection; however, these images demonstrate that these things are not always negative. For example, in Whimsical Hose, one might not think very much about a hose thrown carelessly on the grass and could easily miss the whimsy and playfulness of the shapes it creates. In Peony, the viewer is practically taken inside the flower to experience it more fully, and forced to meditate upon it up close. This paradox is best depicted in Dead Horses and Fence Image Two: how often does one to stop to look at a pile of trash and find beauty and meaning in it?
One final note, several of these photos were intentionally taken with a camera phone to underscore the notion that the ordinary (e.g. a common camera phone) can be transformed into the extraordinary. Also, the choice to present the images small with a large mat emphasizes the need to look closely by physically forcing the viewer to do so.
List of Works
door in the floor, 5-18-11, Blackberry camera phone
peony, 5-28-11, Nikon L1
whimsical hose, 5-18-11, BlackBerry Style 9670 smartphone
reflection of the sky in a grassy mud puddle, 5-18-11, Blackberry camera phone
dead horses and fence image two, 6-8-11, Nikon L1
6/15/2011
The images below have been re-sized so as not to take up tons of space and they are copyrighted--so please be a sport and contact me if you'd like to reproduce them in any way.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, Look Closely: A Show in Five Small Works.
~~~
Meghan King Johnson – Artist Statement
With this particular body of work, my goal is to create a response in the viewer by presenting discarded or ordinary items in such a way that the viewer will respond to their unexpected beauty, as well as make the viewer think about his or her own associations with the objects. In some cases, the viewer might also imagine the stories of the people associated with the objects presented.
In my photography, I like to look at everyday objects in a new light and from a fresh angle, such as in black and white, close-up, via a reflection, etc., and seek out an interesting and pleasing image through variations in shape and light.
These works also conjure up feelings of “things are not what they seem” / “something is amiss.” For example, in Door in the Floor one might wonder after observing the photo carefully: “Is that door sideways? Why?” or in Dead Horses and Fence Image Two: “Are those horses real? Why are they upside down?” or in Reflection of the Sky in a Grassy Mud Puddle,“Is that the sky or or a reflection of the sky? Is it the sun, or is it the moon?”
Themes of abandonment, disregard and “overseen / overlooked” also echo throughout this collection; however, these images demonstrate that these things are not always negative. For example, in Whimsical Hose, one might not think very much about a hose thrown carelessly on the grass and could easily miss the whimsy and playfulness of the shapes it creates. In Peony, the viewer is practically taken inside the flower to experience it more fully, and forced to meditate upon it up close. This paradox is best depicted in Dead Horses and Fence Image Two: how often does one to stop to look at a pile of trash and find beauty and meaning in it?
One final note, several of these photos were intentionally taken with a camera phone to underscore the notion that the ordinary (e.g. a common camera phone) can be transformed into the extraordinary. Also, the choice to present the images small with a large mat emphasizes the need to look closely by physically forcing the viewer to do so.
List of Works
door in the floor, 5-18-11, Blackberry camera phone
peony, 5-28-11, Nikon L1
whimsical hose, 5-18-11, BlackBerry Style 9670 smartphone
reflection of the sky in a grassy mud puddle, 5-18-11, Blackberry camera phone
dead horses and fence image two, 6-8-11, Nikon L1
6/15/2011
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