Review by curator Laurie Freitag:
"'Closer to Home' by Marna Bell is such a special image. This call asked 'What is the one theme that calls the artist back to shoot over and over again. The idea being that some feeling or theme that touches the life of the artist is so important on a subconscious level that they seek out some kind of completion or healing of the subject matter for themselves.

It's all very personal to the photographer and by sharing their work we gain insight into the artist and also if we are lucky, into our own situations of the heart and soul.

'Closer to Home' seems to tell a story but the story is not clear. The children are in an amusement park on a ride but they are not amused. They are basically checked out, void of any apparent feelings. They are not responding to their situation or to each other. They are, in fact, focused on who is watching them, that being the photographer and if we go one step further, perhaps they are mirroring back what they perceive.

I asked Marna Bell, "I'm wondering what the details of this image are. Do you know these girls or was the capture chance?"

Bell says, "As I walked through this amusement park I was attracted to the nostalgic gaze of these twins. I felt that there was a timeless quality to their glances. It brought me back to the many times I went to Coney Island with my parents."

Freitag asks, "The title 'Closer to Home' seems to make this image a very personal one. Can you tell our viewers what made you want to make this photograph?"

Bell says, "Closer to Home 03 is part of a larger very personal series that was begun in 1970. It began after finding old negatives in my studio of Coney Island where I was born. Since then I have been trying to remember and recapture some of the lost memories of my youth."

Freitag asks, "Has the covid-19 pandemic changed your perspective on your Life's Work? And how do you view the work you've submitted since the pandemic?"

Bell says, "The Pandemic made me realize that every moment is precious and cannot be taken for granted. I don't know if Coney Island will ever be the same in my lifetime. Who will be there to celebrate when the Wonder Wheel turns 100 years old on Memorial Day? What will happen to the Mermaid Parade which is a yearly parade that attracts over half a million people  to Coney Island and the boardwalk?"

Marna Bell says, "the series 'Closer to Home' focuses on a feeling of nostalgia, longing for an idealized time when life seemed simpler. Childhood amnesia left me with vague, disjointed memories of my youth. In the 1970s, I started taking photographs of Coney Island as a way to recapture those lost memories. In the reclaimed visions, everything seemed perfect. These images represent semi-fictionalized narratives; some dimly recalled memories and some imagined. In this fantasy world of the past, I found excitement and escape, just as it was when I was riding on the carousel with my father."

Marna Bell was born in Brooklyn, New York. She received a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA from Syracuse University in painting.

Bell has exhibited nationally in museums, galleries and colleges. Her work was exhibited at the Javits Center for the 2nd Annual Photography Contest held by Photoplus Expo in 2017. She has been published in Black and White magazine; exhibited in group shows at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Inst., Utica, NY, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY, and The Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, SC. Her book “Hudson Past/Perfect” is in the artist book section of the Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York City.

CV:

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2014  Passages in Time, Edgewood Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2013  Imperfect Memories, Light Work, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2011  Light Work Juried Members Exhibition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2008  Air and Water, Rome Art and Community Center, Rome, NY
2007  Cycle of Life – Green Lakes, The Warehouse Gallery, Syracuse, NY
1973  Clarion State College, Clarion, PA
1972  Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019  Black, White and Monochrome, The SE Center for Photography, Greenville, SC
 Member’s Show 2019, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
2018  Journeys Past and Present, Edgewood Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2017  2nd Annual Photography Contest, Photoplus Expo, Javits Center, New York, NY Inspiring the Positive, The Healing Power of Art, Manhattan Arts Intl. online gallery
2016  Made in New York, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
 Landmarks, Albany International Airport, Albany, NY
2015  2nd Open Call Juried Photography Exhibition, Peter Miller Fine Art, Providence, RI
Manifestation & Ambiguity, Gallery 4040, Syracuse, NY
Made in New York, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
Focal Point Q1.15, Crusade For Art, Online Exhibition
2014  Luminous Journeys, Kirkland Art Center, Clinton, NY
Made in New York, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY
2013  63rd Exhibition of Central New York Artists, Munson Williams Proctor Arts Inst, Utica, NY
2012  Stone Canoe 6, XL Gallery, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2011  7th National Photography Competition, FotoFoto Gallery, Huntington, NY
BookMARKs Exhibition, SPE Education Regional Conference, Syracuse, NY
2010  Art San Diego, Brenda Taylor Gallery, San Diego, CA
The Human Landscape, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY
2009  Dimensions, Edgewood Gallery, Syracuse, NY
Reflections, Delavan Art Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2008  The Object and Beyond, Everson Biennial, Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY H2O NY, Limestone Art Gallery, Fayetteville, NY
Blink Gallery of Contemporary Art, Andes, NY
2007  Two Walks in the Woods, Image City Photography Gallery, Rochester, NY
18th Annual Juried Photography Show, The State of the Art Gallery, Ithaca, NY
2006  Springtime in the Garden, Syracuse Technology Garden, Syracuse, NY
 Visual Arts Showcase #56 and #57, WCNY, Liverpool, NY

PUBLICATIONS, COLLECTIONS, AWARDS, COMMISSIONS & GRANTS

2019  N.Y. Photo Curator: “The Poetry of Shadows”, Best Series Award
2019  Manhattan Arts International “Herstory” Award of Merit
2019  Black and White Magazine Merit Award
2017  Photo Review 2017 Competition Issue, The Photo Review
2015  Verso, Crusade for Art Online Auction
Focal Point Q1.15, Crusade for Art Online Publication
 iGavel Photography Auction, Daniel Cooney Gallery
2014  Black and White Magazine December 2014 Issue, Interview and Portfolio Spotlight
 "Same But Different" Book, Jurors Selection by Darren Ching, NYCA4PA
2012  Ruth and Harold Chenven Foundation Artist Award
2012  "Hudson Past/Perfect” Artist Book, Howard Greenberg Gallery Collection, NY, NY
2011  Stone Canoe 6, Syracuse University Publication, Syracuse, NY
2010  Empower Federal Credit Union, Permanent Collection, Fayetteville, NY
2008  NYFA Mark Program, New York Foundation of the Arts, Ithaca, NY
2007  The Healing Power of Art, Best in Photography, The MHTN Arts Int’l Online Exhib., NY, NY
2006  CNYCAC Regional Exhibition, Best in the Show Award, Utica, NY
1988  Bristol Myers Company, On Loan, Bristol Myers, Syracuse, NY

www.marnabell.com

Marty Levenson says, "Our island has been continually logged since the late 1890s, and I am obsessed with the beautiful piles of rotting debris that often cluster around the surviving old-growth stumps. Their complexity and strangeness is emphatically at odds with much nature photography and the ethos it elevates.

Close examination of these mounds reveals the passage of time and slow decay as erosion, water, UV, insect, gravity, animal and human activity wear down and soften the structures. Then too is the accumulation of windfall trees and branches adding to the chaos, while new growth emerges from the mulch.

At some point, the photos became self-portraits - snapshots of my body's decay and the slow return to the earth.
It is surprising to find myself here yet again, as continually since the 1960s I have taken photographs of root clusters, shrubs and strange trees. These were processed in my home darkroom, in my college’s darkroom, using polaroid cameras, incorporated into monoprints, and, most recently, using digital photography.

I initially studied photography at Franconia College, N.H, in the 1970s, and graduated with a degree in ceramics. Migrating to Vancouver, I began my art career with ceramic sculpture, and soon enrolled in the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC, where I graduated in printmaking. After a decade of exhibiting my monoprints internationally, often at the Bau-xi Gallery in Vancouver, my involvement with psychology merged with with my art experience as I shifted to a career in art therapy. I graduated from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute 27 years ago and remain a registered art therapist in private practice.

martylev@telus.net
Instagram:  levenson.photo

registered art therapist
www.vancouverarttherapy.com

Images Description:

These images were taken near my home on Bowen Island, BC, Canada during 2019 and 2020. They are part of the “self portrait (decay)” series of photographs.






 

Stephen Spiller says, "I am submitting three images which underscore current social, cultural and political issues, such as rape, family values, racial prejudice, murder, misogyny, etc.

These works were assembled from my photographs and materials gathered and recontexturalized from other sources, e.g. the internet, printed matter, etc. My added text, and digital manipulation, is intended to identify and enhance my view that prevailing moral attitudes on many democratic ideals have, over time, corroded and become troubling.

Inspiration for the direction of my work consistently arises out of my inability to answer upsetting questions focused on “criminal justice”. Has it, in fact, become an oxymoron equivalent? In the case of rape, for example, why do courts allow rapists to allege, in defense of committing such a violent act, that the victim was at fault because she wore provocative clothing, consumed alcohol, etc.?

My view has come to this: In our currently polarized political and social climate, controversial topics, like those I’ve referred to, are passionately argued - but without compassion. Viewpoints deeply tinged with acrimony and bitterness are wildly pitched - but there is no umpire. It’s as if dark emotions have been spray-painted across, and blanket, our minds, in the way street graffiti covers, and thereby possesses, brick walls. I wonder if it’s possible to pierce that darkness. And, if so, how?

I wonder too why calls for “truth” and “transparency”, made by conservatives and progressives alike, spun by media pundits, argued about by tweeters, promised by politicians, etc. feel like theater and reality TV instead of reality? And why do engaged parties present as contestants, as if only vying for attention in the next news cycle? Is it by design that we, the public, are bombarded with conflicting and confusing information? Indeed, what the hell are “alternative facts”? Are we drowning in hocus-pocus, or should I say Hocus-Potus inspired, sleight of hand?

I work and live in Long Island City, NY. I am self-educated and began photographing in 1985. In 2003 I first used digital manipulation to better define and explain my political and social positions which are the foundation of most of my work.

Examples of subjects that interest me, include: identity, racial prejudice, religion, economic disparity, universal healthcare, denying women control over their lives, affordable, quality education, gun violence, etc. Specifically I have made artworks dealing with beauty, fashion, prostitution, aging, gender, rape, misogyny, politics, etc.

I have exhibited in over seventy-five U.S. and international museums and galleries e.g. New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Miami Beach, FL; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cakovec, Croatia; Arles, France; Malaga, Spain; Thessaloniki, Greece; Venice, Italy; Berlin, Germany; Beijing, China; Barcelona, Spain; Tokyo, Japan, and more. Most of the exhibitions resulted from a juried selection process. One, in New York City (Chelsea) was a three-person exhibit, the remainder were group shows.

I have also been published in issues of Musee Magazine, and I participated in an art panel discussion entitled: “Personal Is Political Is Personal” in a Brooklyn, NY gallery. I am a member of the Los Angeles Art Association. My work is in several collections, including The Fletcher Collection, Johnson City, TN and the collection of the 5th Barcelona Foto Biennale, Barcelona, Spain. I am a founding member of FotoNostrum, the largest photography gallery in Barcelona, Spain

Career Highlights - International Venues

Exhibitor

2012 The Palais de Glace, Buenos Aires, Argentina

2014 Municipal Museum, Malaga, Spain

2015 National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation, Thessaloniki, Greece

2015 Exhibition Hall of the Venue of Laneri, Venice, Italy

2016 The Palazzo Italia, Berlin, Germany

2017 Museum of Graphic Art of the Mediterranean Marchionni, Sardinia, Italy

2017 Bologna Museo Cà La Ghironda, Bologna, IT

2017 Czech China Contemporary Museum, Beijing, China

2019 FotoNostrum Gallery, Barcelona, Spain (Exhibitor and a founding member of the largest photography gallery in Barcelona)                                                 

2019 The National Art Center of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

www.stephenspiller.com

Stevie Kim says, "I am a first generation Korean American, a veteran, photographer and hairdresser.  It was during my time in prison, as a convicted felon, when I learned how to cut hair "professionally", which eventually would prove to save my life. The pictures in Cutting Edge celebrate a group of highly talented individuals who are making the world a more vital, exciting, personal and beautiful place - one haircut at a time. The photos also serve as personal testimony and a profound desire to make a positive contribution.

The hairdressers portrayed are young vibrant personalities, known within the hair industry and who have been given a platform in which to perform their art. This young movement is much different from the status quo of other professional hair shows, which showcase designs that are more traditional. I've focused on the organization No Name Edu, an educational company that puts on hair shows featuring young artists – predominantly women. Its goal is to empower a new generation of hairdressers and takes place four times a year in Atlanta, Georgia. My intent is to show what this generation of hairdressers are now inventing and how these young professionals form a loving, celebratory culture of vastly diverse personalities. The project is dedicated to my friends in Atlanta, who always had my back! They helped me discover a new life through a lens and a pair of scissors.

Bio: My names Stevie Kim, I am 35, I am a first generation Korean American, a veteran, photographer and hairdresser. Im also a 8 time college drop out (Don't Fact check this LOL, but I know i've dropped out atleast 5 times) . This time I found art and I am working on my BFA at SVA in New York City. 
 

“There's always another story. There's more than meets the eye.”

- W.H Auden

Todd Stuart says, "What’s the other story just past what we see?  What does that story tell us about ourselves?  Observing, imagining and creating stories can help us better understand others and ourselves.  Look closely, think deeply and create brazenly.

I create work to inspire myself, and hopefully viewers of my work, to deeply observe the world.  Look at light and how it illuminates subjects and moments that pass so rapidly.  I try and capture these moments that speak to me. I hope that viewer will engage their imaginations and create stories that speak to them.  What do you see just past what meets your eye?"

Todd is an artist, entrepreneur and educator based in Ohio.  He is an Assistant Teaching Professor and the Director of Arts Management & Entrepreneurship at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  Todd holds an MFA and an MBA from the University of South Carolina.  He is also a graduate of the University of Florida with a BA in Theatre.  Prior to teaching, he worked professionally as a theatre artist and as an entrepreneur.

His photography has been seen in juried groups exhibitions around the country including:

·      Diptych, A. Smith Gallery, Johnson City, Texas - Juror:  Kevin Tully

·      Intentional Spaces, Photoplace Online Gallery, Middlebury Vermont - Juror: Laura Moya

·      The Window, N.Y. Photo Curator - Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet'- Juror:  Deb Schwedhelm

·      The Journey, N.Y. Photo Curator- Global Photography Awards - 'Where Photography & Philanthropy Meet'- Juror:  Susan Spiritus

·      The Movement Show, Pop Revolution Gallery, Mason, Ohio

Todd’s first solo show scheduled for Fall 2020.

www.toddastuart.com

@toddastuart
 

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LIFE'S WORK HOME:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/life-s-work-laurie-freitag


FIRST PLACE:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/life-s-work-laurie-freitag/first-place-marna-bell/1

SECOND PLACE:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/life-s-work-laurie-freitag/second-place-sylvia-de-swaan-prague-to-berlin----/1

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/life-s-work-laurie-freitag/honorable-mentions-kip-harris-drill-bit-merchants-ce-morse-finntown-73-harry-longstreet-best-pillow----/1

BEST SERIES:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/life-s-work-laurie-freitag/best-series-jim-mckinniss-venice----/1

EXHIBITION #1:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/life-s-work-laurie-freitag/exhibition-1/1

EXHIBITION 2:
https://www.laphotocurator.com/life-s-work-laurie-freitag/exhibition-2/1