PHOTOGRAPHY WITH FOCUS

I just made a delightful visit to The Studio Around the Corner. Even more enjoyable, was the time spent talking with the 2 photographers who are displaying their work there.

As you walk into the display area, the work of Joe Vaccaro is to your left. I was immediately struck by his inventive style of placing words over photographs. The words are not subtle. They are the first thing you see. As with many of us who enjoy typeface and see sentient in them, the choice of fonts not only represent what Joe likes to see, but also what he wants to say. Here, they tend to describe an emotion which then makes you want to peek behind the words to see why he chose that particular expression.

I saw this group of photos in layers—of portraits, color, and then words. Joe used gel lights for the layer of color. When asked how he got expressions from his models, he said, “I ask them to think of a situation that reminds them of the color of the lights.” From there, the photos and what Joe sees in them, become their titles which are then placed front and center in bold and white lettering.

Light and lighting are a central focus in all of Joe’s works at this show. While these particular works stand out, there are other excellent photographs that demonstrate his fascination with light that extend to things that light up, create, and disburse light. Joe captured decorative lightbulbs and interesting light fixtures, not only as objects, but of what they can do as far as helping us see what we may not have thought to look at before.

To the right, are the photographic works of Fabienne Riccoboni who spoke to me about her art over the phone. Near the end of our conversation, I pointed out a common thread in her work as what I perceived as loneliness and singularity. And at the end of our chat, on viewing her work, that idea came through loud and clear.

Regarding her portraiture, Fabienne said she attempts to capture her models in their environment where they are comfortable, relaxed, and at-home. Her aim is to embrace a moment that is candid and real. Yet surprise and daring are words she used as what she also looks to achieve. The piece titled, “Pretty Woman,” was one of those spontaneous moments where her subject turned toward the cameras unexpectedly. In “California Dreaming,” Fabienne found a special beauty in this woman who usually wears makeup, yet has none here.

As in the reflection of the empty chair on the grandfather’s clock, she described that and her landscapes as tending toward a fascination with lone things in big spaces. “Let it Be” is one tree on a broad beachfront. “Blue Skies” represents a spindly sapling amid vastness. “To me, the empty chair is not only lonely, but poignant.”

A personal favorite was “Love Birds.” While the couple in itself are lovely to view, their figures among ideally situated gulls give flight to what we, as viewers, imagine the couple may be thinking.

Clearly, Ms. Riccoboni experiments with light and lighting, film as well as digital, and other means of photographic manipulation in order to produce photos with feeling, depth, interest, and thoughtfulness.

This exhibit will be up until June 1st. Don’t miss it.


Stefani Gosselink teaches piano in Brewster, NY.  She has written several articles on art and local artists in the area. 

Click here to check out other articles on art, performance, and music here or StefaniGosselink.com.

Links to Joe Vaccaro's and Fabienne Riccoboni's  Instagram pages. 

The Cultural Arts Coalition manages Studio Around the Corner located at  67 Main Street, Suite 101, Brewster, NY 10509. For more information visit www.CulturalArtsCo.com,  call (845) 363-8330 or email info@CulturalArtsCo.com

 

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Submitted by New Fairfield, CT

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