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Old Town Alexandria Gallery Walkthrough
Thanks to the huge art magnet created by the Torpedo Factory Arts Center in Old Town Alexandria, that lucky city boasts a thriving art scene which can usually be counted to deliver a diverse variety of shows on monthlybasis. This month is no exception, and the Factory Photoworks Gallery located inside the Torpedo Factory currently has on display the top show, with a month-long show showcasing the works of Danny Conant and Judy Wulff. British award winning photographer Catriona Fraser once said that the questions she dreads being asked the most (and which usually come from amateur photographers well armed with the latest photographic equipment, proper jackets and tons of technical know-how) are those which deal with f-stops, lenses, temperature of the chemicals, etc. Her point is that many photographers are so absorbed with the technical details of the art, that they miss the heart of photography, which is after all a good photograph and well honed darkroom skills.
It is thus amazing to see that Danny Conant's exhibition, appropriately titled "Plastic Perspectives," were all shot using a cheap, plastic 2 ¼ inch toy camera. Conant is a master, and in my opinion the most underrated photographer in the area, and this exhibition proves that it is the photographer, not the equipment, which transforms the product from a photo to a work of art. The photos are a result of her recent trip to China, and the resulting black and white landscapes, multiple images and other pieces are a testimony to her enviable skills as a photographer and visionary. Just as Ms. Conant's work is even more impressive once one discovers the simplicity of the equipment, Judy Wulff's exhibition "May Bugs" is a brilliant display of blinding colors and visually exhuberant light which breathe new life on the over-photographed subject of cars.
The May Bugs are Volkswagen beetles photographed in Mexico by Wulff. The VW bugs depicted in these colorful works not only prove that these beetles can survive anything (Mexican roads for one!), but also that in the hands of a talented photographer they can become a work of art. We are faced with magnificent colors in the VW's, which complement the colorful hues of Mexico. The gallery is studio 344 and the Factory is at 105 N. Union Street; the shows will be on display until June 2.
While visiting this show, don't forget to drop by the Art League Gallery, located on the ground floor of the Torpedo Factory; their monthly juried shows are usually the best gathering of work by local artists in a group show. Also discover the newest studio at the Factory, where sculptor Jackie Ehle's talented soft hands weave incredible works out of wire, screws, nuts and other metallic objects.
A few minutes from the Torpedo Factory is Gallery West, one of Virginia's oldest artist-owned contemporary art galleries. The current show by Joan Wolfe, titled "Touched by Time," is an interesting show which ranges from landscapes to some superb paintings of the elderly. These pieces, which were earlier on display as part of her solo show at the Art League, are portraits of elderly persons (in costume), who had attended a masquerade party. They are so succesful in picking up the essence of the subject that I frankly found them a bit scary. Gallery West is at 205 S. Union Street; the show hangs until May 21.
Up the street from Gallery West, the Perry House Galleries have a surprisingly different show called "Contemporary Arts of Mongolia." The show is presented under the patronage of the Mongolian ambassador, and I must admit that I went to this show expecting to see works dominated by the traditional Mongolian style of painting, which is recognizibly Oriental with a strong Ukiyo-e visual influence. Instead, what I found was an incredible mixture of styles and medias and a total cultural re-education on Mongolian art. There were the traditional paintings, mostly by unidentified artists, but other works ranged from a haunting "Daughter," by Enkjarghal Tsagaankari, to some magnificent pieces by Balbar Gombosuren. I especially liked his "Gobi," and hope that Perry House can sign him and show some more of his works in the future.
This is a magnificent, museum-quality show, and Perry House must be complemented for bringing it to Virginia. Perry House is located at 1017 Duke Street; the show will hang until June 1st, 1996.