Kevin Imper

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Missy at Lakepointe, Kenmore by the Lake

Missy on Location at Lakepointe

On Location, Missy Looking for the Pointe of the Lake - 2014

Missy Enjoying the Integrated Land Uses at Lakepointe - 2014

@kevingimper

From the City of Kenmore Website:

"Lakepointe is intended to integrate different land uses and activities in a complementary manner to minimize the conflicts and integrate the usage among residents, shoppers, vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. The mixed-use nature of this development will provide almost a mile of Lake Washington and Sammamish River channel shoreline access."

On Location, Missy Contemplating Integrated Mixed Use - Kenmore by the Lake 2016

Please don’t worry about Missy and the photography crew trespassing during her photo shoot. There are no fences, and as of June 27, 2016, there are no posted trespass warnings. Maybe there should be?

The Current Face of Mixed Use Zoning - Lakepointe - 2016

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Photographer Stephen Benine

Henri Cartier-Bresson commented about his creative method, “There are no rules. One should not try too hard to explain the mystery. It is better just to be receptive, a Leica within easy reach.”

Bresson could easily have been describing Seattle photographer, Stephen Benine, right down to the “Leica within easy reach.” Steve knows his Leica well, taking full advantage of its exceptional capabilities. He shoots with a fine eye for composition and can be found rambling about Seattle with his camera. Receptive, just waiting for the moment.

Lake Union – Photo by Stephen Benine June 2016

Lake Union – Photo by Stephen Benine January 2015

Fisherman’s Terminal – Photo by Stephen Benine January 2015

Seattle at Night – Photo by Stephen Benine November 2016

The next photo by Stephen is a jewel with a really strange kind of loneliness in it. It is like a LA lonely. "Missing the party" type of lonely.

Waiting for Someone - Photo by Stephen Benine March 2016

Friday, May 27, 2016

Different Points of View

I found this scene in Fez Medina, Morocco. There is an older gentleman sitting, a younger man, and a cat. I love the cat. He shares the seated guy’s naturalness in the scene. He actually looks more comfortable than the younger man. He is obviously not listening to the shop owner. However, he is hanging in pretty close. He is also comfortable with the young guy. So that probably says something about the relationship between the young guy and the old guy – familiar, not a casual relationship. In the Medina, you would never see this scene with a dog in it. Cats are favored. Or, at the minimum, tolerated. But this kitty here is especially favored. Might be used to some caressing from the old guy. Or more likely, food - like when times are a little slower. Granted, they look a little slow at 11:28 in the morning. If the snacks don’t come out pretty quick, he will likely wander down to the butcher shop.

There is a simple story indicated in the image.

Fez Medina - Morocco 2015

Chefchaouen - Morocco 2016

Photo of Dale

Posting a photo of Dale may seem odd in a collection called "Different Points of View," that started out in Morocco. But Dale is a longtime nomad and has experienced much of the world. He fits in wherever you find him, and that is apt to be anywhere.

Dale - Seattle July 2016

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

A Photo or Two

A close friend, Sherry, said I should post a photo from each county visited on my 'around-the-world trip.' I don't know if I am organized enough to actually do that. But, there are a few I would like to share - some countries with no images, but others with multiple.

So, I will offer up a few of my favorites, and continue to add them as they rise to my attention.

Chefchaouen, Morocco 2015

David Imper, Cannon Beach, Oregon 2016

Installation - Split, Croatia 2015

For those who enjoy serious black and white photography, I would like to recommend a website hosted by Ernie Flowers, called "Seattle B&W Gallery." His latest posting is a series he took in Vinegar Hill, North Carolina. The link below will send you there. But be sure to check out his other postings. Another artist featured on his site is Jim Coley, also based in Seattle. His series titled, "Stories From the Street," is pulled from his years of documenting the pulse of everyday life found in the heart of Seattle.

http://www.ernieflowers.com/Ernie-Flowers/Vinegar-Hill/

Thursday, December 31, 2015

La Nazione

During the late summer 2015 Rachel and I lived for a month just behind Santa Maria Del Fiore in Florence. Our corner apartment bordered two streets and the pedestrian piazza surrounding the huge cathedral. Thus, the busy street scene with its visually rich images continually passed below our windows. Directly beneath one side of our temporary home was a news kiosk. It became a familiar backdrop for many of these photos of tourists, and of the locals, ultimately providing the title for this photo series. La Nazione is a very old and influential regional newspaper based in Florence. Many kiosks around the city share the same banner.

First - a look at our neighborhood.

Giotto's Campanile, Florence, Italy 2015

The Duomo From our Window - Florence 2015

Here is a sampling of the photos in the series with an introductory view of the La Nazione kiosk.

La Nazione - Florence, Italy 2015

La Nazione - Florence 2015

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Some Hodge – Some Podge

This post is made up of a few oddments that don’t neatly fit any other postings – and are only loosely related to each other. In the future I will probably use it as a catch-all for photos that interest me.

The first few images are somewhat related because the subjects were found in museums and galleries, mostly in Paris. Yes – there is the art, and, there are those that love the art. The Henri Cartier-Bresson Exhibit at the Pompidou Centre in Paris was perfect for its mix.

The Decisive Moment at the Pompidou Centre Bresson Exhibit – Paris 2014

Henri Cartier-Bresson Exhibit at the Pompidou Centre – Paris 2014

The Ramp at Musee du Quai Branly – Paris 2014 – Rivers of the World

In Edinburgh there is a fine Francis Bacon currently being shown. It is considered fairly unusual because, unlike most of his paintings, there is no figure represented. But the painting is not that unusual. He often painted human’s passing presence in our spaces, capturing the fleeting influence on a more permanent material reality. And in that way, the overcoat is actually a more solid (and more fixed in time) image of man than many of his other painted images. But,I could be totally wrong. I think though, that Francis Bacon would get a big kick about people discussing motives for his choice of images. I apologize for the poor quality of the photo. Bacon typically specified that his paintings, even his very large ones, were to be hung behind glass. Consequently, reflections and surface imperfections were expected to be part of the common viewing experience. He wanted it that way. Who am I to complain?

The Francis Bacon at the Scottish Museum of Modern Art

This next image was also taken at the Scottish Museum of Modern Art.

Scottish National Museum of Modern Art – Edinburgh 2015

Now, a return to Paris for this typical view, seen by most everyone who has ever gone into Ste Chapelle during the height of the tourist season.

Ste Chapelle - Paris 2014

Back to the present in Buxton, England.

Solomon's Temple - Buxton England - August 2015

For anyone desiring to see what Rachel has to say about our travels, please see her blog posts at:

http://imperpassages.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/introducing-passages.html

Monday, April 13, 2015

Galerie Montmartre

Every tourist in Paris, and, I am sure, most Parisians, end up in Place du Tertre near Sacre Coeur at some point. The square is packed with galleries, street artists, and sometimes maybe just a little too much humanity. But you can occasionally find some relief from the jostling tourists by stepping into one of the adjacent galleries. I suggest the Galerie Montmartre. Peering into the window you will see a quiet space populated by great art—Picasso, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, and Marc Chagall. I did this last June.

A Miro, visible from the window, drew me in. Gallerie Montmartre is a peaceful environment, and you will be surrounded by beautiful things. The gallery specializes in Picasso and Dali, and there are both sculptures and prints for sale. As I was viewing that Joan Miro, I noticed a stack of framed pieces leaning against an adjacent wall. I could have tripped over them. I began flipping through the pile to see if there was a Chagall lithograph hiding in there. There may have been, but I got side-tracked by what I found in the pile. There was a very beautifully framed Francis Bacon triptych, in gorgeous condition, numbered and signed. The triptych was priced way out of my range, but that didn’t stop me from drooling over it. I had been working on my “Chasing Bacon” photo series for a couple of years before I wandered into the gallery, and this discovery was an unexpected treasure.

Gallery Art Advisor Noemie Snieg, saw my interest and invited me back at a quieter time to discuss Bacon’s work. When I returned, I found that the triptych had been hung. Our visit was too short, but the conversation was exceptional. While I was there, I saw that other visitors were also being treated as special guests by the staff at Gallerie Montmartre.

If you stop in, don’t be shy about starting a discussion with Noemie or any of the other staff. They are friendly and helpful. If you are a tourist, this will be a highlight of your trip you will not forget. There is no pressure to buy. The gallery is run by professionals that love the artists they represent.

As a side-note: I checked their quote for the Bacon online after I left. It was very fairly priced. And it was exquisitely presented. (As you can see in the photo)

Noemie Snieg with the Bacon Triptych at Gallerie Montmartre.