civilized ku # 809-815 ~ the show must and did go on
Monday, January 17, 2011 at 09:13AM 
(l-r) JB, the Landscapist, the wife, and the Cinemascapist • click to embiggen
Opening reception • click to embiggen
Opening reception • click to embiggen
Opening reception • click to embiggen
Opening reception • click to embiggen
Opening reception • click to embiggen
Opening reception • click to embiggenThe opening reception was an unmitigated success. My turnout expectations were greatly exceeded - the gallery room turned over at least 5 or 6 times during the 3 hour course of the event*. My best estimate is that is that attendance numbered in the neighborhood of 100+ visitors. And the really pleasing aspect of the turnout was the great number of "townies" that came out as opposed to the usual suspects, art crowd wise. The pictures were very well received and there were several comments that I really really appreciated.
One comment was from regular Landscapist visitor / some time commenter JB, who emphatically proclaimed that there really was nothing like seeing the pictures as prints on a wall as opposed to seeing them on a device (smart phone, IPod, iPad, laptop, monitor) screen. This from a guy who is wired-up and "connected" to the max. Although, that said and even though JB is not a "serious" (nor, TMK, semi-serious) picture maker, he does have an art sensibility so that comment did not register with any element of surprise.
The big surprise (and most appreciated) comment was one from an "older" female townie, one who frequents our town's "dive" bar.
an aside - it should be noted that this "dive" bar has quite a rep as the most serious supporter - in the form of live music performances - of local / regional musicians. Its rep as a dive bar comes from the fact that it has a lot of character. Some might say that it's seedy and rundown but it's not like the rats commit suicide or anything like that.
Just the mere fact that this townie (I don't know her name) attended the opening was wonderful. The added bonus of her comment - which came at said bar where I had arranged for live music as part of the opening happening - was delightful icing on that cake. That said, her comment went something like this - "Your photographs are wonderful ... I like it that you see things that most of us don't see or, if we do, we ignore ... You see differently from the rest of us ... I have to start looking better at things."
That notion, my dear friends, is exactly the intent / outcome I strive for with my pictures. And here's the thing that this incident illustrates - this outcome has happened previously but, 9 times out of 10, it happens with non-picture making types rather than with picture makers. Just sayin ...
The other comment of note, IMO, had nothing to do with my pictures or picture making, per se. Rather, it had to do with the event itself. That comment came from the owner of the "dive" bar, a long time resident of The Forks. She stated that it was really great to see people out and about on Main Street on a Friday night. She said that the town seemed alive, the way it used to be. And that, if you read my last entry (civilized ku # 808), was one of the reasons I got involved in this exhibit / project.
So, all in all, the whole endeavor was, IMO and that of many others, an unqualified success. Would I do it again? You betcha. Although, I would give myself another couples weeks of prep time. And, if I get my wish of permanent occupancy, you can bet I'll be doing it again.
*keep in mind that the gallery room you see in these pictures was backed by another room - the room with the wine, cheese, and other refreshments. That room always had as many people in it as the gallery room at any given time.
Reader Comments (7)
Congratulations. Wish I could have been there. Bob
Jeeesh… It's about time.
Congratulations, and I am glad it went well.
Congrats to the successful show, Mark!
Re. that townie's comment about seeing differently, probably (I am interpreting here) less preoccupied, more precisely: It is exact that what I learnt as an aim worth striving for, after having buried all those juvenile dreams about fame, wealth, reputation etc. through photography: Receiving the sceneries around me with an open eye and distilling some of them into images that can transport something like the spirit of a feeling or of a certain moment.
So that lady has got it right, and she has that sensibility of not only scanning a photograph but letting it sink in and experiencing it with deeper layers of brain or consciousness.
A great success all around...Special thanks to "the wife" who continued to go back and forth to the liquor store to re-stock the "ultra special yummy" wine! Looking forward to more Friday nights in the Forks.
Mark congratulations on the whole project. I wanted to get up there but with the weather and other problems it was no go, but as soon as wifey and I can we'll be there.
I would love to see a gallery like this in Hudson Falls.
thanks for all the congrats - Don, hope to see you and the wifey soon.