Greene County Council on the Arts (GCCA) debuts its first photography-only exhibition in several years “No Nudes No Sunsets,” on view in the entire two-floor gallery from August 11 through September 22, 2018. While photography was firmly established as a legitimate art form many decades ago, the advent of smartphones, apps like Instagram, and digital media have made photography more accessible and, some would say, diluted. This exhibition provides an opportunity for the community to view photos from local photographers from the specific point of view of curator Alon Koppel (@alon on Instagram). The title No Nudes No Sunsets refers to what Koppel, a longtime photographer, did not want the exhibition to be about. Koppel chose 25 photographers in total, reflecting a wide variety of photographic styles that are “fresh, interesting, and involve some method of thinking about contemporary image-making.”
Jared Handelsman’s mysterious photographs are moonlight exposed silver emulsion landscape photograms that he makes on his property in Catskill, NY. Molly Stinchfield’s photographs depict commonplace domestic interiors and exteriors, but on the surface of the photograph, Stinchfield draws black ink lines of plants, ropes, and a telephone, imagery that invites us to look beyond what is presented and witness the unseen in a moment. Juan Madrid, a Catskill native, layers several photographs into one image. About his work, which is from the series/book Gaunt, Madrid writes, “The work is about searching for something that refuses to be found and kept; a hunger that drives us all, that threatens to leave us bare. A maddening feeling that can’t be stopped, that has to have its call answered. Bound to sight, the only way to escape is through it all, an attempt to cut through the noise, only to find more noise.”
Handelsman, Madrid, and Stinchfield represent a fraction of the varied photographers, many local to the Hudson Valley.
“We received many wonderful submissions,” says curator, Alon Koppel. “I look forward to presenting the final exhibition at GCCA.”
The full list of accepted photographers is Julie Chase, Adam Deen, Steven Deleo, Jeffrey Dietz, Paloma Dooley, Karni Dorell, JD Eiseman, Tristan Fitch, Jared Handelsman, Nina Isabelle, Linda Karlsson, Scott Keidong, Paula Lalala, Juan Madrid, Nicholas Mehedin, Casey Michael Robertson, William van Roden, Tyler Roste, Ken Schiff, Sam Sebren, Elizabeth Stewart, Molly Stinchfield, Ken Tannenbaum, Robert Tomlinson, and Paige Tooker.
The Greene County Council on the Arts Gallery is located at 398 Main Street, Catskill NY. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. GCCA is closed on Sundays. For more information on upcoming exhibits, events, artist and grant opportunities, visit www.greenearts.org or call 518-943-3400.
Untitled, moonlight exposed silver emulsion landscape photogram with photo retouch ink, by Jared Handelsman
Untitled from the series “Gaunt,” by Juan Madrid
I told You Not to Call Me Here, Digital C Print on Bamboo Rag Paper, Ink Drawing, by Molly Stinchfield