Wall and Hedge, a night photograph by John Vias
"Wall and Hedge," a night photograph by John Vias, was juried into the Joyce Gordon Gallery's Glimpses in Time exhibition. This is the third year running that Vias' work has been accepted into this international exhibition. This year's show drew 154 entries from across the U.S. and five foreign countries. Only 62 images were chosen by juror René de Guzman, senior art curator at the Oakland Museum of California.
Vias was present at the well-attended reception held on Friday, July 3.
The Joyce Gordon Gallery is located just off Broadway at 406 14th St, Oakland, CA 94612, convenient to BART. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, noon-7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
Glimpses in Time: An International Juried Photography Exhibition in Honor of Manuel Alvarez Bravo recognizes the late Mexican photographer best known for his sometimes dream-like, sometimes political, surrealistic work.
"Wall and Hedge" was captured in Berkeley, California. In this photograph, a corrugated silver wall appears behind a slightly sloping hedge. A utility pole rounds out the composition. The reddish foliage in the hedge adds interest to this intriguing nighttime image.
On his Web site, Vias quotes Confucius: "Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it." Vias reveals that a central focus of his work is to reveal the beauty in ordinary things. Indeed, his photographs often feature common objects: a drinking fountain, a highway overpass, park benches. But in his photos, these mundane objects take on a surreal beauty.
He captures his night photographs on film with the aid of exposures as long as twenty minutes. Vias explains that the surreal colors seen in many of his images occur through the intersection of film, long exposures and available light.
Vias' home and studio are in Ocean View, a West Berkeley neighborhood. He describes the area as having a wide variety of potential subjects, including a marina, foundry, factories, stores, restaurants, apartments and houses. The locale supplies much of the subject matter for his work. "Strong lines and unusual shapes draw my eye," Vias said. "The ambiguity of purpose, content and history of these structures intrigues me."
About Joyce Gordon Gallery
Located steps from public transportation in Oakland, California, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the United States, the Joyce Gordon Gallery is dedicated to representing and exhibiting inspirational and gifted artists who challenge us to grow, think and be free. More information is available at http://www.joycegordongallery.com.
