Online Group Exhibition - "Light” April 2020
“Principal's Office, Hagi, Japan” by George Nobechi | Mamiya 7ii + Kodak Portra 400
Analog Forever Magazine is pleased to showcase 32 images in this month’s online exhibition entitled "Light. Curated by Samantha Johnston, the Executive Director and Curator at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, these photographs explore the foundations of our craft by diving into how light is used both conceptually and literally to create works of art on film and of the world that surrounds us.
Samantha Johnston writes: Light is defined as something that makes vision possible, light is also how we create images and gives our photographs character. Like many photographers, I am drawn to light: the way it changes; how our eyes perceive it versus our cameras; the way it moves through landscapes to illuminate something different; and its variations with the changing seasons. I am often enamored with light patterns and forms playing on walls and reflecting in different spaces.
As I juried this work, I enjoyed seeing the many ways photographers explored light and utilized it in their images. From quiet still lifes to empty spaces, I was drawn to the highlights and shadows that danced throughout each. I selected the theme of light, because it is the basis in which we all make photographs. As I approached each submission, I looked with a slightly different lens, one that is influenced by being at home during this time and social-distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus. The more time I spend inside, looking at light, I think of Joseph Sudek’s images from the inside of his apartment. With the selections I made, my goal was to portray a sense of beauty and stillness.
I really enjoyed spending time with everyone’s pictures, seeing light through so many different perspectives. Reviewing these was a wonderful break in my day. Thank you to everyone who submitted work. I selected George Nobechi “Principal's Office, Hagi, Japan” as my First Place winner. This image embodies a rare place to be contemplative. In our current world with so much changing daily, George’s image creates a calming space. As light reflects on the table and one notices the yellow blossoms out the window, there is a balance with the darkness in the room. His image immediately drew me in.
- Samantha Johnston
Gallery
About the Curator
Samantha Johnston has been the Executive Director and Curator at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center since 2015. She holds a certificate in Arts Development and Program Management from the University of Denver, an MFA from Lesley University College of Art & Design, and a BFA from Alfred University. Prior to joining CPAC, she taught photography and visual arts for 12 years at high schools in Boston and Denver.
She has curated exhibitions with contemporary artists such as Jess T. Dugan, Daniel Coburn, Barbara Ciurej & Lindsay Lochman, and Zora Murff. Samantha has served as a reviewer at Houston FotoFest, Review Santa Fe, PhotoPlus New York, Medium, Month of Photography (MoP), and Filter. She has juried several exhibitions including Critical Mass and The Fence.
She is a longtime member of the Society for Photographic Education, and served as Treasurer of the Southwest region from 2013-2016 and Co-Chair of SPE’s 2013 Southwest regional conference in Denver. She was named one of Colorado’s Top 100 Creatives 3.0 by Westword and has been featured in Lenscratch.