Focus Foward
Front: Nancy Ori, Glass Ceiling, archival pigment print on canvas, 30 x 30 inches All works are courtesy of the artists. Images are subject to copyright.
Focus Foward Visual Arts Center of New Jersey July 10 – August 30, 2020
Focus Forward
A virtual exhibition of works by members of the New Jersey Photography Forum While planning our exhibition schedule last year, we decided that the summer of 2020 would be a perfect time to showcase work by the New Jersey Photography Forum (NJPF). Co-founded by Nancy Ori and the late Michael Creem to further the interests of fine art photographers in New Jersey, the group had recently observed their twenty-fifth anniversary with a series of state-wide exhibitions celebrating their longevity and highlighting the work of their members. While they have met regularly in our building, and several have exhibited in faculty or member shows at the VACNJ, we have never organized an exhibition dedicated to the organization, and it felt like the right time to do so. I asked my colleagues, Kimberly Fisher (Exhibitions Manager) and Sarah Walko (Director of Programs and Community Engagement) to join me in curating the exhibition, and we invited NJPF members to submit work for our consideration. While recognizing the
significance of our shared history of a quarter century, we decided to shift the focus of this show to the next twenty-five years with an eye toward the future of the group. We asked the NJPF members to show us what kind of image-making excites them and where they hope to take their photographic practices. Of course, when the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded, it altered all of our plans. With our galleries closed for the summer, we decided it was even more important to continue with this show—especially given its focus on the future—so we transformed it into a virtual exhibition with a digital catalogue. The curatorial team met remotely to make our selections for the show. Freed from the physical limitations of the gallery space, we were able to choose works regardless of size or installation issues. Every exhibition creates a new context for the works on display and this remains true for virtual ones. Focus Forward highlights the photography of twentysix NJPF members and reflects the artistic diversity of the group. Beginning with a fluid concept enabled us to choose an eclectic mix of images that still work
cohesively as a group exhibition. The works fell into several thematic groupings—architecture, abstraction, landscape and nature, portraits and figures, still life, and cultural commentary—and are arranged in the catalogue accordingly. Architecture is always popular with photographers and this group is no exception. Several focus on specific elements of buildings—a portion of the façade, a decorative detail, a hidden corner. Some highlight different textures while others play with reflections on glass surfaces. People and portraits are perennially popular subjects that in this show result in some highly innovative works. Still other photographers reveal themselves as masters of observation, often finding surreal moments, unique views, and even abstract forms in the most quotidian places. Some of the NJPF members utilize unconventional materials and methods and vintage techniques, while others alter shutter speeds or employ photo editing software to manipulate their images. Several blur the boundaries between painting and photography, concentrating on color, form, and texture to achieve
painterly effects. Printing their photos onto canvas further enhances this relationship. Collectively, these artists give us much to look at and even more to contemplate. Having originally planned this exhibition before the outbreak of the global Covid-19 pandemic, its scope now seems especially ironic. In our prospectus, we asked “Looking forward, what are your fears and hopes? What does the future look like through your lens?” These questions have recently taken on entirely different meanings. While none of us has the answers, we know this much is true: whatever the future brings, we will continue to rely on artists to reflect our world through their eyes, and to help us find the meaning and truth in what they see. Mary Birmingham, Curator Visual Arts Center of New Jersey
Ron Brown Barcelona Sagrada Familia Silver gelatin print 20 x 16 inches
Paul Marvuglio Gehry Curves Digital photograph 14 x 16 inches
Paul Donohoe Georgia's Courtyard Digital photograph 30 x 24 inches
Kathleen Kirchner Untitled Digital collage 23 x 25 inches
Christine Truhe Blowing Skyline Digital photograph 26 x 38 inches
Mitchell Speert Acorn Hall Digital photograph 28 x 38 inches
Phyllis Raffelson Valparaiso in Blue Digital photograph 16 x 20 inches
Nancy Ori Steampunk Archival inkjet on canvas 30 x 30 inches
Charlann Meluso New Dancer Archival inkjet on canvas 33 x 24 inches
Charles Miller Draped Glass Digital photograph 20 x 30 inches
Parvathi Kumar Face Oddity Digital photograph 20 x 16 inches
Dorothy Kuehn Homage 1-4 Archival ink on metallic paper 12 x 12 inches each
Heidi Sussman Fashion Forward Mixed media 14 x 11 inches
Russ Wills Emerge 12, 2020 Fused glass 13 ž x 9 x 6 inches
Marv Kaminsky Pirouette Digital photograph 20 x 16 inches
Glenn Clark Last Lap Digital photograph 23 Âź x 30 inches
Sarah Canfield Light Before the Tunnel Transparent pigment prints in backlit wooden box 24 x 36 x 11 inches
Tom Stillman Ice Family Digital photograph 20 x 24 inches
Ruth Brown Mesa Arch - Canyonlands National Park Digital photograph 16 x 20 inches
Jamin Chen Trees Up Close - B9EC6Q2487 Digital photograph 36 x 24 inches
John Markanich Rock Wall & Tree Digital photograph 16 x 20 inches
Ralph Greene In the Surf Digital photograph 24 x 18 inches
Theresa Hood Nature Morte Digital photograph 24 x 20 inches
Kathleen Nademus Off My Rockers Gum bichromate 20 x 24 inches
Leonard McDonald Scrolls of Harmony Digital photograph 26 x 20 inches
Ken Curtis Psychic Readings Digital photograph 18 x 24 inches