Press Release

For Immediate Release

Night Photograph by John Vias Chosen for Juried Annual 2008 Exhibition

Oakland, Calif. (PRWEB) January 21, 2008 - A night photograph by John Vias titled "Burned-out Building" was selected for inclusion in Pro Arts's "Juried Annual 2008" exhibition, which runs from January 22nd through March 9th. Pro Arts will host a reception in Oakland on Thursday, January 31st, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

"Burned-out Building," a night photograph by John Vias, has been selected for inclusion in Pro Arts's "Juried Annual 2008" exhibition. The juror was Laura Hoptman, Senior Curator, New Museum, New York. Over 1000 artworks were submitted; 71 were selected.

Pro Arts will host a reception Thursday, January 31st, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. The artist plans to attend.

Selected artists, including Vias, will give presentations about their work on Saturday, February 16th, at 1 p.m. the public is encouraged to meet the artists and ask questions.

Both events are hosted by Pro Arts at their gallery, located at 550 2nd St, Oakland, California, in the Jack London Square neighborhood. Admission is free.

"Burned-out Building" was captured near the artist's home in Berkeley, California. The image depicts a large room damaged by fire. The roof is missing. Graffiti appears in one corner. A red rectangle painted on the wall hovers over a pattern resembling blowing grass. The light, overcast sky might lead one to think the scene is in daytime but it was captured well after dark. Broken glass block windows in the front wall of the building allowed Vias to capture the photo through the opening, adding another dimension to the "indoor/outdoor" feel of the image.

Vias says "a central focus of my work is to reveal the beauty in ordinary things, such as park benches." His photographs often feature common objects: a drinking fountain, a highway overpass, an industrial site. On his Web site, he quotes Confucius: "Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it."

Vias's home and studio are located in Ocean View, a West Berkeley neighborhood. He describes the area as diverse, providing a "wide variety of potential subjects, including a marina, foundry, factories, stores, restaurants, apartments, and houses." The locale supplies much of the subject matter for his work. "Strong lines and unusual shapes draw my eye," Vias said. "The ambiguity of purpose, content, and history of some structures arouses my curiosity."

He captures his night photographs on film with the aid of exposures as long as twenty minutes. Of the surreal colors in some of his images, Vias explains "they occur through the intersection of film, long exposures, and available light."

About John Vias
John Vias wanders around in the dark taking pictures. He's an award-winning fine art photographer whose work has been recognized in competitions and reprinted in the press. It hangs in public, private and corporate collections in the U.S. and abroad. Vias (his name rhymes with "bias") was born in Illinois in 1965 and earned a Certificate in Photography from University of California Berkeley Extension and a B.A. from the University of Florida. He lives and works in Berkeley, California. His work can be previewed at his Web site, johnvias.com.

About Pro Arts
Pro Arts's gallery is conveniently located in Downtown Oakland, California, just steps from public transportation. Pro Arts continues to serve as the region's primary visual arts venue by hosting annual exhibitions and special events. For more information, please visit proartsgallery.org.

Contact
John Vias
510-558-7470