Viewpoint Exhibit History

Viewpoint Gallery presents the works of local photographers Dianne Poinski and Donald Satterlee in an exhibition titled “Visions of Translucence,” during the month of September.

Translucent: permitting light to pass, but diffusing it so that objects on the opposite side are not clearly visible

Photographers Satterlee and Poinski bring their work together for this exhibit, combining the translucent effects of light as well as a similar vision. While the subject matter of their pictures may differ, it is the quality of subtle tonality, luminosity in nature, texture and simple but striking compositions that pull all the elements together to create an emotional viewing experience.

Viewpoint Gallery presents two exhibits in the Main Gallery during the month of August: Vaudeville by Dan Herrera, and Glass Works by Gary Shallcross.

In Vaudeville, Dan Herrera’s stated purpose is to create “beautiful images that engage us in mysterious narratives, at once futuristic and nostalgic.” The series combines Herrera’s childhood love of building dioramas with his fascination with contemporary science fiction. Herrera initiates each image by constructing a miniature set of found objects. “Through a series of laborious and anachronistic processes,” Herrera says, he “combines photographs of these carefully lighted sets with digital images of people and life-size props.” He uses 19th-century printing techniques in the final development steps, adding gestural effects that enrich his explorations of distinctions between photographic realism and painterly illusion.

In Glass Works, Gary Shallcross has photographed common pieces of glassware so that “the beauty of the shapes of these ordinary objects is amplified through the refractory characteristics of the glass that can only be realized through the photographic medium. The light source not only illuminates the glass but becomes subject matter itself.”

An exhibition of documentary photographs by David Bacon and Kathya Landeros about immigration to the United States from Mexico and Central America.

An experienced photographer, journalist, and former labor organizer, Bacon's stunning work of photographs and oral history documents the new reality of migrant experience: the creation of transnational communities. He takes us inside these communities and illuminates the ties that bind them together, the influence of their working conditions on their families and health, and their struggle for better lives.

Landeros, herself from a family of immigrants from Central Mexico, proposes that "If one can accept that the history of migratory policy toward Mexico has been complicated as we negotiate between our demands for labor and our need for cultural sovereignty, then we can acknowledge that the migrant communities that have developed in Mexico are a manifestation of these complexities."

Kathya Landeros: Sandra’s Quinceañera paid for with remittances
from the United States, Guanajuato, Mexico, 2008

At a time when the Sacramento area has enjoyed one of its finest autumn seasons, photographer Jerry Berry reminds us with his images where the real fall action happens: New England.

“California has a wide range of landscapes within its borders,” says Berry. “But when it comes to the spectacular variety of colors of the fall season, the New England states have no equal.... I hope that the Impressions I have chosen to display will provide the viewer a taste of what they may encounter on a trip to this area at this time of year. And for those that are personally familiar with this special time and place, I hope it takes them home."

In July 2012, eminent photographer and educator Rick Murai led a Viewpoint-sponsored photography workshop in Peru. Participants enjoyed an exciting two-week adventure photographing the stunning landscape, colorful people, and rich cultural traditions of the Peruvian Andes. Locations visited included Lima, Cuzco, Sacred Valley (featuring the Virgen del Carmen festival), Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca. The workshop provided a totally immersive experience, with ample time for intense exploration, individual instruction, image sharing, and quiet introspection.

This exhibit presents images made on that trip. Exhibiting photographers include Henry Greene, Auburn Wendover, Adrienne Sher, Barbara Summers, Mirella Santana, Bruce Gregory, Jeri Lazaro, and Rick Murai.

Viewpoint Gallery presents Charles Cramer's photographs of the natural scene. A master printer, first in Dye Transfer, and more recently, in digital processes, he is drawn to photograph primarily by the light and only secondarily by the subject.

"I search for that special kind of light that can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. The end goal of my photography has always been to make beautiful prints. I have spent a large part of the last 30 years refining my skills not just photographing the natural scene, but learning how to make the best possible prints from these images."

Two bottles, two hues, a bit of imagination and with a touch of passion this creative expression soon begins to take on a life of its own...

Viewpoint Gallery is pleased to present the photographs of Dawn Blanchfield in an exhibition called The Price of Enlightenment in the Step Up Gallery at Viewpoint.

Dawn Blanchfield’s The Price of Enlightenment is a series of black-and-white photographs that explores provocative subjects ranging from religious topics to social and political commentary of both the past and present. “I use seemingly innocuous objects, a minimalist composition, and dramatic light and shadow to express specific or abstract ideas.” says Blanchfield. “These images are the result of my internal struggle with religion, science, and mythology; death and spirituality; human nature and inherent evil."