Press Release
For Immediate Release
Night Photograph by John Vias Juried Into International Photography Exhibition
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For the third year in a row, a night photograph by John Vias was juried into Glimpses in Time, an international juried photography exhibition at the Joyce Gordon Gallery in Oakland, California. The 62-photo exhibition runs through July 31, 2009.
OAKLAND, CA (PRLog.org) July 11, 2009 -- "Wall and Hedge," a night photograph by John Vias, was juried into the Joyce Gordon Gallery's Glimpses in Time exhibition. This is the third year running that Vias's work has been accepted into this international exhibition. This year's show drew 154 entries from across the U.S. and five foreign countries. Only 62 images were chosen by juror René de Guzman, senior art curator at the Oakland Museum of California.
Vias was present at the well-attended reception held on Friday, July 3.
The Joyce Gordon Gallery is located at 406 14th St, Oakland, CA 94612, convenient to BART. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday, noon-7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
Glimpses in Time: An International Juried Photography Exhibition in Honor of Manuel Álvarez Bravo recognizes the late Mexican photographer best known for his sometimes dream-like, sometimes political, surrealistic work.
"Wall and Hedge" was captured in Berkeley, California. In this photograph, a corrugated silver wall appears behind a slightly sloping hedge. A utility pole rounds out the composition. The reddish foliage in the hedge adds interest to this intriguing nighttime image.
On his Web site, Vias quotes Confucius: "Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it." Vias reveals that a central focus of his work is to reveal the beauty in ordinary things. Indeed, his photographs often feature common objects: a drinking fountain, a highway overpass, park benches. But in his photos, these mundane objects take on a surreal beauty.
He captures his night photographs on film with the aid of exposures as long as twenty minutes. Vias explains that the surreal colors seen in many of his images occur through the intersection of film, long exposures, and available light.
Vias' home and studio are in Ocean View, a West Berkeley neighborhood. He describes the area as having 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 these structures intrigues me."
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 Joyce Gordon Gallery
Located steps from public transportation in Oakland, California, one of the
most culturally diverse cities in the United States, the Joyce Gordon Gallery
is dedicated to representing and exhibiting inspirational and gifted artists
who challenge us to grow, think and be free. More information is available
at joycegordongallery.com.
Contact
John Vias
510-558-7470