The Fine Art of Photography May 17, 2007

Art Center Sarasota will host the fourth annual juried Photography exhibition. This contemporary exhibition examines the visual literacy of photography as a key element of communication. Open to all Florida artists working in black & white and color photography. Submission deadline is May 8, 2007. For submission guidelines and prospectus please call 941-365-2032 or stop by Art Center Sarasota.

The jurors for this exhibition are Gretchen Zimmer and Robin du Plessis.

Gretchen Zimmer lives in the worlds of Art and Information. Recently she worked with International Research and Marketing in New York City developing multi-cultural projects around the world. In 1996 she created a show featured at the New York Society of Ethical Culture. The Exhibit was CYPRESS PAPYRUS TO CYBER PAPERLESS: 5000 YEARS OF ART AND INFORMATION. She is an artist and currently lives here in Sarasota where she works in paper-making and pulp sculpture.
Robin du Plessis worked as an illustrator for the Archaeology Department at Brown University which led to work at various excavations sites around the world including Bukoba, Tanzania. This was followed by positions with Cairo University in Giza, Egypt and Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. When she returned to NYC she began working as a fabric designer. She designed for several Italian textile mills, including Giorgio Armani in Milan. Robin and her family live in Sarasota. She is painting and her work can be seen in November at the Ormond Art Museum in an exhbition, titled Revolution: Text and Texture
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“The Fine Art of Photography” theme explores the difference between ‘taking’ a picture and ‘making’ a picture. As photographers present their own vision of the world, they share their values, beliefs, history, and culture in the context of their work. The audience participates by bringing their values, bias, and viewpoints while studying the photographs.

Art Center Sarasota’s commitment to photography is evident with this annual exhibition which increasingly attracts global attention. “We are very pleased with the public response to our Florida Photography exhibition. Last year, over 1,200 attendees visited the Florida Photography Exhibition; with a significant number being national and international visitors,” stated Fayanne Hayes, Art Center Sarasota Manager.

“We are enthusiastic about the new direction of our Exhibitions Committee. With Gale Fulton Ross as our new chairperson, our exhibitions will open up to new artists, and new audiences, exploring relevant contemporary issues” continues Hayes. “The Art Center is planning to expand the impact of exhibitions through related educational presentations, lectures, panel discussions, demonstrations and workshops. We look forward to a very exciting season in 2007-2008".

In the Art Center’s Members Gallery
Michael Ransdell

Opening concurrently with the Florida Photography Exhibition in the Art Center Sarasota’s Members Gallery is an exhibition of Michael Ransdell’s objects of mystery and figurative forms. Ranging in size from miniature to gigantic, his objects have an anatomical perspective that defies simple classification as sculpture or mixed media.

Remnants of collected objects swirl and converge into phantoms and apparitions that are visually anatomical, yet curiously compelling. Whispers abound asking, “What is that made of?” Perhaps it is a fish scale or a pair of scissors.

Ransdell describes his work as objects of mystery made from exotic woods, burls, and driftwood. “I draw inspiration from natural images and markings within the wood, modifying, assembling and incorporating found objects, into work that evokes a visual experience of intrigue and discovery.”

Indeed, these objects possess a fascination implying hidden secrets in each form. The artworks, made from exotic woods, metal and other found objects, engender a disconcerting wonder. Organic and primal in feel, his pieces are juxtaposed with the harshness and sterility of man-made modern objects.

Ransdell graduated from Northern Illinois University with an M.F.A. in visual art. His work has been displayed in various exhibitions throughout the United States, including the Burpee Art Museum in Rockford Illinois; the Chapman Friedman Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky; Union University Gallery in Jackson, Tennessee; and New Horizons in Art in Chicago. He maintains a studio near Louisville; and his website http://www.michaelransdell.com features examples of his current work.

Art Center Sarasota is open Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Closed Sundays and Mondays). Admissions to exhibitions and galleries are free and open to the public.

Official Website: http://www.artsarasota.org