BLACK AND WHITE

The exhibition catalogue for BLACK AND WHITE is now ready for ordering directly from Blurb Books. Small format softcover is $21.95, plus tax and shipping.

Juror’s Statement:

You wouldn’t think a so-called “seasoned” photographer like myself would need reminders about the significance and beauty of black and white photography. But a reminder it was, and a terrific one at that. Sitting down with Lightroom and the 1200+ entries was a glorious visual feast. The images thrust me onto another plane of appreciation for those practitioners who have honed their vision into shades of gray, embracing one of photography’s earliest and most honored ways of expressing the photographic image.

It’s fascinating to note that there is nothing “natural” about the black and white photograph. Had color been available to the pioneer photographers of the early 1800’s, don’t think for a moment they wouldn’t have gone that route instead, recording a more “realistic” rendition of the color-filled world around them. Black and white photography is beautiful, but it’s not natural or realistic. Why then do so many talented and dedicated artists choose black and white photography?

Photographer Ruth Bernhard observed, “With color you see the subject — with black and white you see the form of the subject.” The black and white photograph distills our range of perception, forcing a contemplation of the shapes, the light, and the stories behind the image before us. The image’s design is in its tonality; the composition is in its tonality; everything about the image is defined by humble tonality. Put simply, it’s magical!

If your work wasn’t selected for this exhibition, that means only one thing: it wasn’t selected. It sure doesn’t suggest your images aren’t “good” or that you should abandon photography for, say, ceramics. The competition was fierce, with only one in 30 images chosen for hanging in the gallery. In another competition (with another juror) there’s a good chance your images would be in the final selection. There wasn’t an image among the submissions that didn’t merit pause and examination. In short, this was one swell group of photographs, and that made it especially hard to whittle down to the final accepted pieces.

Thank you for this opportunity to witness the continuing vibrance and energy of photography. If you love the medium, you’ll be making images long after you forget whether your work was “accepted” or not. And honestly, in my heart and eye, you are all exceptional photographers.

Dan Burkholder

Geoffrey Agrons Cape May, NJ Null Hypothesis
Richard Allen Ashmore Orange, TX Hurricane Ike Debris Fields - Port Bolivar Community Cemetary, 2008
Joan Barrett Whitesboro, NY Pool Shark
Anne Berry Newnan, GA Baboon in Window
Michele Cole Southhampton, NJ Under Pressure
Sarah Corbin New York, NY Hay Fields
Jeff Crisman Joliet, IL Siren, Greece, 2010
Glenn DeWitt Kingston, NY Rocky
Gerald Figal Nashville, TN Tornado Tower
Tony French New Orleans, LA When You're Smilin'
Ann George Shreveport, LA The Visitation
Harry Giglio Pittsburgh, PA Field of Dreams
Daniel Haeker Wuppertal, Germany Flying Shark
David G. Hawkins Auburndale, MA Girls Front Lawn Picnic
Jarmo Honkanen Helsinki, Finland Waiting
Jenny Johnson Shreveport, LA Wolf
Kurt Jordan Agoura Hills, CA Walking Dreams
Erik S. Lieber Brooklyn, NY Oliver's Hands
Claire Mallett Los Angeles, CA Classic Beauty
Marilyn Maxwell Santa Fe, NM Roadside Attraction I-25
Zach Mazur Pullman, WA Lapwai
Ofer MizraChi Modiin, Israel Wishes of the Galaxy
Ellen O'Connell Zurich, Switzerland Diver
Rik Palm San Diego, CA Rained Out
Lori Pond Los Angeles, CA Grove 1820
John Puffer Jeffersonville, IN Mary
Mickie Rosen Jenkintown, PA Serpentine Forest
Russ Rowland New York, NY Snow City
Raven Schwan-Noble North Hero, VT Daisys
Debora Schwedhelm Tampa, FL Daddy's Braids
Monica Shulman New York, NY The New Yorkers
Jeffrey Smith Furlong, PA Steam at Sunrise
Len Speier New York, NY VW Bug, NYC
Nick Syracuse Brooklyn, NY Black Dog, Navajo Nation, Arizona
Jacqueline Truong Altadena, CA Cornered
Harald Vogel New York, NY Highline
Carol Watson Blanco, TX Repent Now
Dennis Yermoshin Houston, TX Carina at the Park, from the series Carina, and I
Leah Zawadski Orange, CA Swing

	Joel Anderson Lykens, PA Retired coal miner holding photo of himself in 1950s mine rescue which killed his brother
	Tatyana Bessmertnaya Plano, TX Taganrog Road
	Susan Bowen New York, NY Carhenge, Cars in Sky
	Cate Brown North Kingstown, RI Trap Falls
	Patrice Cochran Jacksonville, FL Storming the Beach - June 6, 1944
	Billy Cunningham New York, NY Stabbing Victim 7th Ave New York City
	Laura DeNardo Baltimore, MD First Light
	John Diephouse Lansing, MI Memory of Chicago
	Robert Forlini Lake Peekskill, NY Ice Skating, Lake Peekskill
	Barbara Ganley Weybridge, VT Gathering Storm
	Edgar Gelabert Bronx, NY Family Group
	Jack L. Goodman Middlebury, VT Eli
	Paul Greenberg Dallas, TX Museum Guard and Henry Moore
	Robert Hecht San Rafael, CA Cello and Window Reflection
	Lora Hufton Lexington, KY Dirt Trail
	Andrew Ilachinski Springfield, VA Light Storm
	Hugh Jones Arlington, VA Across the Universe
	Joan M. Ladendorf Hanover Park, IL Criss-Cross
	Susan C. Larkin Brooktondale, NY Echinacea
	Emma LeBlanc and Phil Sands Damascus, Syria Golan Heights, Syria
	Brenda Lindfors Austin, TX Underpass
	Susan Lirakis Center Sandwich, NH Kaaterskill Falls
	Krystal Macdonald Mesa, AZ From the Family Archives
	Sayeed Mehmood Monticello, AR Pensive
	Linda Morrow Long Beach, CA Hot & Humid
	Eric Myrvaagnes Newton, MA Sandscape
	Joan O'Beirne Brattleboro, VT untitled, from the Onlooker series
	Winifred Parker Wayland, MA Early Winter
	Rachelle Raymer-Gilbert Sylvania, OH Cut Wood
	Marc Sheridan Carlsbad, CA Solitude
	Jaclyn Sollars Lima, OH Burning Bright
	Dan Squires Arlington, MA Golden Gate
	D. Kadah Tanaka Vallejo, CA Petaluma Picnic VIII
	Susan Tennenbaum Glencoe, IL Art Dealer I