08 Aug Impressions of India Photography Exhibition
In July 2016 The Arts Society of Kingston hosted Impressions of India, Surrendering to the Journey, an exhibit of my photographs printed on Indian silk and cotton. It was an exciting opportunity to share some of the images I have produced with the mid-Hudson Valley community, New York City second home owners, and art lovers from as far away as England and France. The show delighted viewers and sales were brisk with many people looking for more opportunities to see the work hanging in a variety of venues.
Transitory Passage and Blue Mist on the Ganges are archival pigment prints on Indian cotton
Here’s a brief recap of how the work evolved:
In January 2015 I traveled to northern India with a small group of friends and returned with an inspired body of photographs I chose to print on Indian cotton and silk. I worked closely with master printer Stephen Kerner to create the final prints which range in size from 30″x40″ to 8 feet wide.
Being in India provided many opportunities to document both the mundane and the mystical: explosive colors, luxurious textures, and design motifs that span the centuries. All of this coexists alongside devastating poverty.
As a tourist, I wanted to capture everything I saw without being insensitive. These photographs were all taken with a pocket-size Canon Powershot that had a highly efficient 32x zoom, so I was able to get up close when needed.
As an multi-faceted artist, I have enjoyed exploring photography as a painterly medium by bringing each image into Lightroom and then Photoshop to enhance the design and color. These images “called” me powerfully forward to produce them large scale on fabrics. I chose to exhibit them so that even the slightest movement of the viewer walking by will create a response from the photograph: an invitation to enter into their world.
Some of the most powerful images in this series were taken on the sacred Ganges river in the city of Varanasi. I was deeply moved by the experiences here and chose the photographs that expressed an indescribable feeling, an inner longing: “I know this place and it knows me.”
Enjoy this short video of the installation at ASK before the show was taken down. I am actively seeking other venues to share this powerful work, so contact me if you have an inspiration.
I also produced a book with all of the images and short poems each inspired. In this preview, you can scroll through each page of the book.
Wonderful article by Ann Hutton about the show in the Almanac Weekly.
All of the prints can be purchased at the shop. The large fabric prints hang from an aluminum rod, suspended with monofilament from the ceiling and are in editions of three. The smaller 10.5″x14″ fabric prints are suitable for framing for $250.00
Enjoy this parting shot of the dress I designed and created (with the help of Molly Farley at Sew Woodstock) to showcase my photograph “Hawa Mahal, Palace of the Winds” in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Dress designed by Mary Anne Erickson and made from two of her photographs of Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, India.
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