Making pictures, making art
A view inside the Blackwell Gallery, 205 Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene, where the exhibit “The ART of Photography” featuring 12 local photographers will be open April 13 through March 6. (Courtesy photo)
Chris Celentano, "The Crown Jewel of Coeur d'Alene"
Joseph Powell, “Wet October Afternoon”
JR McCurdie, “Mug Shot”
Vic Harris, “Palouse Farmland”
Ron Reeve, "Pelicans on Benewah Lake”
From dark rooms to disposable film cameras to the iPhone, the face of photography has changed rapidly over the last decade. Since its start in 1838, thinkers have been trying to make sense of photography. Is it reality? Is it technology? Is it art?
Now more than ever, with the accessibility and ease of use of photo editing software like Photoshop, the conversation has been growing louder.
For its fifth season, the Blackwell Gallery wants to further that conversation with its newest exhibit “The ART of Photography.”
The gallery, in Coeur d’Alene at 205 Sherman Ave., will open the photo showcase on April 13, in conjunction with the opening reception of the Arts and Cultural Alliance’s Art Walk.
Curated by Beth Rich Brown, the gallery’s manager and resident photographer, the exhibit will illustrate the creativity of several local photographers.
Brown, like most of the artists in the show, believes photography is art, despite those in the art world who may deny it.
“My mouse is a painter’s brush,” she said. “It takes talent to choose editing tools, just like a painter chooses their colors. I like to say that 60 percent of photography is skill, and the other 40 percent is what you do with the picture after you take it.”
New to curating, Brown said it is essential to the Coeur d’Alene art community to keep her gallery local — almost all artists featured in the gallery have ties to the Lake City.
As a member of the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce, the Arts and Culture Alliance and the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association, Brown makes sure her gallery is involved in the community.
“We are able to build artists’ reputations when we keep it local,” she said. “Instead of bringing in national artists, we can get the names of our local artists out there.”
Of the 40 photographers who submitted work for the exhibit, 12 were chosen to be part of the showcase.
To find fellow photographers, Brown did not ask for specific guidelines. She only asked for photographers to show her what they do best.
“When I see something, I just know I have to share it,” she said. “I manage an art gallery, not a museum. So as much as I would love to pick strange art, I still have to sell it.”
One wall of the gallery will be designated for the photographers, while the rest of the gallery will feature works in all different mediums.
The exhibit will include photos by Jessica Raetzke, a photography and art instructor at North Idaho College, and Adam Schluter, an award-winning local photographer sponsored by Eurail to travel the European Union and photograph life in every country.
Even the Coeur d’Alene Press’ very own Loren Benoit will be featured in the show.
“Professional photographers like Loren have to capture exactly what they see to tell the story,” Brown said. “Giving these photographers a place to express themselves shows just how creative these artists can be.”
The photographs will vary on their use of editing techniques. Brown said she has curated the show to feature all different styles of modern photography, whether it be an extensive view of the Palouse or a picture of someone’s shoes. She will even be including a multi-photograph piece of her own that gives viewers a dissected look at how she edits her photos.
Perhaps the most technical of the photographers to be featured is Joseph Thies Powell. He manually overlaps his photos multiple times to create an image that looks just like a watercolor painting. For Powell, print art is just as creative as any other.
“There isn’t a more tangible way to illustrate your vision,” he said. “Resolutions come and go. Print is much more reliable if you take care of it.”
The Blackwell Art gallery has themed shows planned for the rest of the 2018 season, one exhibit featuring art created inside the gallery walls.
But for Brown, whose photography was chosen to be displayed in Beijing by the President of the Photographic Art Society, she is just excited to no longer be the only photographer in the gallery.
Before the exhibit closes on March 6, viewers will have the opportunity to decide for themselves if photography really is art.