The picture featured in this month's post is one that I fondly refer to as "my truck." The truck is in a Bridgehampton field, which I'd noticed early in the winter of 2013. The field seemed mostly empty except for some round hay rolls scattered about, and I had planned to go one sunny morning to catch the golden bales in the perfect morning light. January mornings are not so accommodating, however, and one Sunday when I found myself up early for no reason, I decided to go photograph these hay rolls despite the cold temperatures and the thick morning fog. I was walking toward the middle of the field when I saw this great old truck parked behind a storage structure, otherwise hidden from sight from the road, just an unassuming figure of metal, brambles, and rust. After a few distracted and uninspired minutes photographing the hay bales, I walked back over to the truck and started shooting, capturing some of the fantastic details and curves of the grill, rusted through in some areas, only superficially impacted in others. I loved the indiscriminate growth of the bushes - through the cab, through the engine compartment, through a door hanging by a hinge. It was gorgeous in its disrepair, and I kept noticing the details of its beauty; the missing windshield panel, the stylized lettering of "GMC" on the grill, the crooked license plate long devoid of paint, the weathered wooden boards of the pickup bed behind the cab, and the body panels showing the brushstrokes of a hand applied coat of paint in the same green that recalls the patina of aged copper. The foggy morning weather, an initial disappointment, was perfect for softly shrouding this ramshackle circa-1940 GMC truck – my truck.I showed this photo the next month in a photography show- the first one I'd done - and was gratified and thrilled when someone purchased it within the first 45 minutes or so of the show. I'll never forget standing in Ashawagh Hall with my husband Charlie, my mother, and our friends Kate and Brian, when I glanced over at my truck and saw a "SOLD" tag across the label on the wall. It's one thing to take a photograph and love it – it's another thing entirely to put something out there for the first time and realize that someone else has connected with it enough to commit to continue looking at it. This image is more to me than a photo of a truck taken on a foggy morning in January – it will always remind me of the first time I printed and exhibited my photos, to be viewed by people other than my supportive family and friends. And it will always represent the jumping off point for the last few years of showing my work, and what I hope and expect will be many years to come of sharing my photography with others.
I've submitted a copy of this photo and three others for the Springs Mystery Art Sale, an anonymous exhibition of artwork to raise money for the Springs School Visiting Artist Program in in East Hampton. Student and professional artists have contributed over 1000 5"x7” works that will be exhibited and sold for $20 each, with the name of the artist withheld until a reception this Saturday night when buyers will discover whether their chosen piece is the work of a talented young student, a professioinal artist, or an art world luminary such as Eric Fischl, April Gornik, Ross Bleckner, or David Salle. The exhibit runs from April 23 – May 2 at Ashawagh Hall in Springs, East Hampton, with a closing party on Saturday afternoon when the names of the artists will be revealed. Hours are Wednesday, April 29th - Friday, May 1 from 4pm - 7pm, and Saturday May 2nd from 11am to 5pm, with a reception from 2pm - 5pm.
I'm participating in two other shows this month, and they also feature photos that were entirely unplanned. In February 2014, Charlie and I and our friends Paul and Merce who were visiting stopped at the beach in Amagansett to take a quick look after a recent snowstorm. I didn't plan to take any photos, but of course when I saw the Beach Hut snack shack at the Atlantic Avenue beach in the waning afternoon light, with the brightly colored and patterned surfboards surrounded by snow, I just had to take a photo. I didn't have my camera, so I grabbed my phone and started snapping. I'm happy that I did. The photo was accepted for theProfessional Women Photographers "Whims of Weather" show juried by Dr. Stanley Burns, Chairperson of the Photography Committee of the National Arts Club. The exhibition will run from Monday, May 18th to Saturday, May 30th (gallery hours are M – S, 9am – 5pm), with a reception on Monday, May 18th from 6pm to 8pm at the National Arts Club located at 15 Gramercy Park South. Hope to see you at the reception!!
This month I will also be participating in the 77th Annual Guild Hall Artist Members Exhibition in East Hampton, NY. The Guild Hall Members show is always fun, featuring work by a variety of local artists in a historic location in town. I will be showing "Ageless' – the photo of two lovely women walking in Little Italy past a street art image of Audrey Hepburn, featured in a previous update. The exhibition opens this Saturday, May 2nd with an opening reception that afternoon from 4pm – 6pm, and runs through Saturday, June 6th.
And of course - REMINDER: Save the date! Friday June 26 – Sunday June 28. I'm organizing a small group exhibit at Ashawagh Hall in Springs, East Hampton with three other artists – Kirsten Benfield, Peter Tooker, and Claudia Ward. Reception to be held Saturday evening. More info to come - would love to see you there!!