AAU Galleries feature a wealth of photography this month, including work by alumna Jessie Janine and MFA student Gregory Beams.
435 Jefferson Gallery: Jessie Janine - Abandonment
Abandoned houses can be a wealth of inspiration to those with the artistic curiosity to explore them. Formerly the focal points of peoples' lives, their timelines have been diverted, or permanently paused. Jessie Janine’s Abandonment captures the frozen narrative and allows us to consider our complex relationships with things we leave behind.
“There is an undeniably artistic element to decayed sites, abandonment, and an immense number of social and philosophical questions they pose.” says Janine. “Why do we abandon? What does our relationship with abandonment tell us about ourselves?”
Jessie Janine grew up on the tiny gulf coast Island of Cedar Key, Florida, where her love of photography developed as a way to preserve the natural beauty that surrounded her. She completed her BFA in Photography at Academy of Art University in 2016.
Image by Gregory Beams
625 Sutter Gallery: Gregory Beams - Technology's Promises
Gregory Beams has always thought of himself as something of an outsider, a sort of independent viewer watching life unfold from behind a window. His photo series Technology’s Promises reflects that sense of separation and observation.
“It’s important that my photography be based in reality, that they reflect an urban environment that feels familiar to people when they see them,” says Beams. “Equally important is the sense of something missing, something not quite right within the photograph that requires the viewer to resolve.”
Born in the suburbs north of Seattle, Washington, Gregory Beams didn’t begin to seriously explore photography until later in life. In 2011 he began to pursue his MFA degree at Academy of Art University, where he is expected to graduate in the fall of 2016. Beams still lives and produces most of his work in the Seattle area.
Last week, Beams offered AAU Lens insight on the Cinematic Image.
Also not to be missed is the group show Palette, featuring Full-Time Faculty Connie Begg. Says Ampersand International, where the exhibition is featured:
The idea of a painter’s palette was used as a starting point for the curatorial process and developed as an analogy for the way artists compose their own vernacular. The resulting exhibition features an eclectic mix of found objects, research materials, actual palettes, studio accidents, works-in-progress, studies, music, collections, sketchbooks, and ephemera illustrating the unpredictable nature of inspiration and the value of creative thinking.
Ampersand International: 1001 Tennessee Street, San Francisco, CA 94107. Exhibition Dates: September 15th through October 14th, 2016. Gallery Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 12pm-5pm or by appointment.
Segments of this post were originally featured on the AAU Galleries homepage.