Elaine Blatt: Natural Phenomena by Bruno David Gallery

ELAINE BLATT NATURAL PHENOMENA

ELAINE BLATT: Natural Phenomena June 6 - July 5, 2008 Bruno David Gallery 3721 Washington Boulevard Saint Louis, 63108 Missouri, U.S.A. info@brunodavidgallery.com www.brunodavidgallery.com Director: Bruno L. David

This catalogue was published by Bruno David Gallery Publications in conjunction with the exhibition Elaine Blatt: Natural Phenomena Editor: Bruno L. David Catalog Designer: Yoko Kiyoi Designer Assistant: Sage A. David & Claudia R. David Printed in USA All works courtesy of Bruno David Gallery and Elaine Blatt Cover Image: Elaine Blatt Untitled VIII (Antelope Canyon series) (detail), 2007-08 Water-based pigments on paper, 17 x 26 inches (43.18 x 66.04 cm) Copyright ÂŠ 2008 Bruno David Gallery and Elaine Blatt All Right Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of Bruno David Gallery, Inc.

Contents

Essay by Mark J. Eastman Afterword by Bruno L. David Checklist of the Exhibition Biography

ELAINE BLATT: NATURAL PHENOMENA Essay by Mark J. Eastman

Mother Nature works in mysterious ways, from the bottom of the earth to the top of the skies. Capturing nature’s phenomenons is a wonderful challenge to Elaine Blatt’s photographic talents. From crawling through tiny spaces barely able to fit her small frame, to standing hours in the freezing cold, hoping to capture some of the greatest sights nature has to offer. This exhibition is all about nature and it’s rarely seen gifts. The Auroras are natural different colored light displays, which are usually observed in the night sky, particularly in the polar zone. In northern latitudes, it is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for north wind, Boreas. It often appears as a greenish glow (or sometimes a faint red), as if the sun were rising from an unusual direction. Typically the aurora appears either as a diffuse glow or as “curtains” that approximately extend in the east-west direction. At some times, they form “quiet arcs”; at others (“active aurora”), they evolve and change constantly. Each curtain consists of many parallel rays, each lined up with the local direction of the magnetic field lines, suggesting that aurora is shaped by the earth’s magnetic field. Indeed, satellites show electrons to be guided by magnetic field lines, spiraling around them while moving earthwards. The aurora borealis is also called the northern polar lights, as it is only visible in the North sky from the Northern Hemisphere. Elaine and Harold captured these visions of the Aurora from Reykjavik, Iceland. A slot canyon is a narrow canyon, formed by the wear of water rushing through rock. A slot canyon is significantly deeper than it is wide. Some slot canyons can measure less than 3 ft. across at the top but drop more than 100 ft. to the floor of the canyon, climbing down precipitous ladders to reach the bottom.

Most slot canyons are formed in sandstone and limestone rock. Even in sandstone and limestone, only a very small number of creeks will form slot canyons. This is due to a combination of the particular characteristics of the rock, and regional rainfall. Antelope Canyon, one of the most famous of the slot canyons, is located in Arizona near Page, on the Navajo reservation. The Navajo tribesmen have to escort you into the canyons. The majestic sunrise at Bryce Canyon showed bright orange Hoodoos carved out of rock by the hundreds. This giant rock formation is created by nature as moisture freezes in the crevices and restructures the formation. Although Bryce Canyon receives a meager 18 inches of precipitation annually, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing what this little bit of water can do under the right circumstances. From the dry dessert canyons, to the frozen northern skies, Elaine Blatt has managed to capture sights rarely seen by most people. She has captured these unusually wonderful sights of nature and put them on exhibit for all to see. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Mark J. Eastman, (May 2008)

This essay is one in a series of introductions to the galleryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibitions written by fellow gallery artists, colleagues and friends.

Afterword by Bruno L. David

Bruno David Gallery is pleased to exhibit the latest photographs by Saint Louis based photographer Elaine Blatt. Through her travels from the northern polar zone, down to the southwest deserts, Blatt has captured some of nature’s most spectacular phenomena. As a photographer working for 25 years, she has explored the globe while documenting sights seen by few people. From crawling through tiny spaces barely able to fit her small frame, to standing hours in the freezing cold, she has been able to return with truly remarkable photographs. In this latest exhibition, Blatt is presenting a series of work depicting the dazzling natural light show, aurora borealis (the northern lights) from Reykjavik, Iceland. Also included are the incredible rock formations of the Antelope Canyon in Arizona and the sandstone Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon in Utah. A short video by Elaine Blatt titled “Corkscrew Canyon” is on view in the New Media Room. Elaine Blatt, a native St. Louisan, studied under Ansel Adams, Mary Ellen Mark and Lisl Dennis and received two Master Degrees from Washington University in St. Louis. Her work has been exhibited throughout the world and is displayed in institutions from St. Louis to Paris.

Checklist of the exhibition and Images

Untitled VIII (Antelope Canyon series, 2007-08

Water-based pigments on paper, 26 x 17 inches (66.04 x 43.18 cm) Edition of 3

Untitled IV (Antelope Canyon series, 2007-08

Water-based pigments on paper, 26 x 17 inches (66.04 x 43.18 cm) Edition of 3

Untitled VI (Antelope Canyon series, 2007-08

Water-based pigments on paper, 26 x 17 inches (66.04 x 43.18 cm) Edition of 3

Untitled V (Antelope Canyon series, 2007-08

Water-based pigments on paper, 26 x 17 inches (66.04 x 43.18 cm) Edition of 3

Untitled VII (Aurora Borealis series, 2007-08