Kevin Imper

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.

http://www.galerie-montmartre.com/

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Black and White Landscapes?

The case may be made that landscape photography is best served with color prints. Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and Peter Lik are excellent proof otherwise, but is it art? Jonathan Jones of the Guardian thinks not. Of course, his view is that landscape photography is not art, whether in black and white or in color.

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2014/dec/10/most-expensive-photograph-ever-hackneyed-tasteless

I won't get into that discussion. There are better photographers and better artists to either refute or give support to Jonathan's views. But the argument does not deter me from occasionally attempting something outdoors in black and white. Fall foliage is always a favorite of photographers, and is undeniably striking in color. But the brilliance of yellow leaves is not lost in this black and white autumn photo taken in Tumwater Canyon, just a few miles outside of Leavenworth, Washington.

Autumn in Tumwater Canyon - Leavenworth, WA USA

This winter photo was also taken in Tumwater Canyon. The patterns left by the snow-covered dead falls and spars left standing, years after a fire raged through the area, are what is important to the scene. The image in black and white enhances the strangeness of the landscape.

Autumn in Tumwater Canyon - Leavenworth, WA USA

These driftwood logs do look good in color, but black and white suits the dramatic qualities of the bleached wood.

Gold Beach, Oregon - USA

As long as I am posting photos of stumps:

Bucerias, Mexico

In January 2011 Rachel and I visited Mark and Harriet Masters, at their apartment in Bucerias, Mexico. Bucerias lies just north of Puerto Vallarta. We stayed with them for two weeks and enjoyed every minute of it. Afternoons were spent by the pool just off the beach on Banderas Bay. The comfortable breeze, a little refreshment, good books to read, and the wonderful conversation made that time of day our favorite. Looking over this idyllic scene was the “Great Rhinoceros,” and depending on the mood of the light, it could seem benignly beautiful or sometimes giving off just a whiff of danger. As a continual companion to our quiet times and lazy conversations, there is little doubt that the powerful presence was the reason that Mark and I started thinking about Henry Moore. And as we had further refreshment, we decided that the beach needed a Henry Moore to enchant beach walkers. Thus it was done. The “Great Rhinoceros” oversaw not only the marvel of what a collective creative mind can accomplish - it also witnessed the destruction of that marvel by a local inhabitant with no respect for genius, collective or otherwise. Destruction of beauty should never be allowed, but Mark and I (also witnesses to the destruction) had resumed refreshing ourselves and consequently didn’t feel any motivation to educate the ignorant. Just too much bother, and besides, we heard Harriet calling that dinner was ready.

August 2015 addition to the "Stump Art."

Dales Way - Grassington, Yorkshire Dales - July 2015

Stumps Abound - This driftwood log joins the collection from Camano Island in Washington State.

Camano Island State Park - August 2016

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Chasing Bacon

"I would like my pictures to look as if a human being had passed between them ... as a snail leaves its slime.” (Francis Bacon)

This series of photographs, begun in 2013, is an exploration of the themes, moods, and artificial spaces suggested by 20^th century artist Francis Bacon. The Anglo-Irish artist famously used movie stills, tabloid images, and popular photojournalism as inspiration for his sometimes disturbing and controversial works.

The accompanying images are for an upcoming exhibit at Glazer’s Camera in Seattle. They comprise only a portion of the continuing series and have images from locations as diverse as residential West Seattle and the cemeteries and catacombs of Paris.

All proceeds from sales of the collection will be donated to the Photo Center NW: http://pcnw.org/