Review // Pete: "Her Picture in a Frame" & "31 Women in Art Photography"

WILLIAM ALBERT ALLARD 

Her Picture in a Frame

Leica Gallery

38 works presented

Lambda digital prints on Crystal Archive paper 

William Allard's latest show "Her Picture in a Frame" is an examination of female beauty in the camera frame. Allard focuses on women to be the main subject in portrait or he may include them as an element in a composition. Generally the pictures are snap-shots, waiting for the right moment, other photos may be more intimate where he had met his subject and photographed her. He has a curious obsession with discovering and capturing the beauty of a woman. He hunts down his subjects and waits for that moment. The moment where the subject give themselves up. Viewing the images feels like you are crossing a line into intimate situations which the photographer has opened up. In these fleeting moment, the image captured allows the viewer to examine every detail of the subject. Like a voyeur, you keep on watching knowing you won't be discovered. The portraits of these women have a sensuality to them that excites the viewer's curiosity. It's the facial expressions of longing, the imperfections of innocent girls, honest looks and gestures. it feels like the subject is flirting with the viewer, inviting you in to that world, look around, stay a while. 

 

31 Women in Art Photography 

Affirmation Arts

31 works presented

Mixed print mediums

"31 Women in Art Photography" isn't your traditional photo exhibit, it's one artist, one photograph, one room. The fact that all the photographers are all women might cause some preconceptions, but the experience transcended any bias, it's nice to see the recognition of female perspective in a predominantly male art world. Photographers today have knowledge of the reoccurring themes and genres in photographic history. We are taught traditions and methods but are free to apply new ideas and technologies.  The influence of contemporary art is evident in the photographs with the use abstract/conceptual ideas and the exploration of different technologies including camera-choice, post-production, and printing methods. With so much accessibility to images and information, there is a plenty of resource for inspiration, creativity and imagination. Seeing the product of these latest trends allows you to accept the new ideas or react against them naturally. I feel that this is an exciting time for photography because anything is possible, there is so much to explore. Each artist brings her own style to the medium, as a collective it can be overwhelming to digest at first. Each photograph needs to be examined in its own context to be able to understand and appreciate the nuances. You can feel the excitement in the work, the public has been waiting to be exposed to fresh work. New visions are being discovered and realized.