File this under “Yesterday I couldn’t spell ‘artist’ and today I are one…”
Chromatics – Nashville’s high-end photo-print shop – was the first place that ever hung one of my photos in a gallery – back in, I dunno, 2008 or there abouts. Fittingly, it was a print of a ruined abbey in Ireland. I’ve had my work included in several shows at Chromatics in the years since.
Another show will be opening Thursday, May 26. This one is called “Signs of the Times.” The call for entries simply asked “What have you captured or created that portrays the current day and age in which we live?
I submitted three images, and, lo and behold all three were accepted and will be included in the show.
The opening reception will be tomorrow, Thursday May 26 at Chromatics, at 625 Fogg Street in Nashville. C’mon by – the serve great pupus.
The exhibit will be open until September 1, 2016.
Here are the three images and the statements that will accompany them:
“Endangered Species”
Over the past few years, the area of Nashville known as “The Gulch” has been one of the city’s fastest growing and most gentrified urban neighborhoods. Condo and office towers rise above upscale shops, restaurants and bars as a whole new generation of residents and workers flood into the area. Amid the crush of development, one tiny, one-story stone building remains as a testament to a bygone era, standing in stalwart resistance to the commonly expressed sentiment that “when they come for the Station Inn… Nashville is over.”
– – – – – – –
“Cleaning Crew”
At night, Nashville’s “Lower Broad” hosts a sea of humanity that swarms in and out of its many honky-tonks, restaurants and bars. The strip hosts bachelor and bachelorette parties all year round and some visitors patronize the many “Pedal Taverns” that let revelers propel their own guided tour while imbibing an adult beverage or three. By dawn, the crowds have dissipated, the cleaning crews have taken over and, and one worker enjoys a joke at the expense of the few remaining passers-by.
“Skyward”
Construction cranes are a familiar sight along any urban skyline these days. It’s entirely common to see new high-rises going up against the existing towers of glass and steel. What you don’t see much of in America, though, are construction cranes framed against medieval churches – in this case, Glasgow Cathedral in Scotland. Built beginning in the 12th century, this imposing early-gothic edifice stands as a monument to construction techniques based almost entirely on human sinew, hammers and chisels. As new construction rises nearby, aided by every modern convenience known to 21st century builders, only future generations will see which methods and materials will ultimately endure the ravages of time.