August 4 through September 2, 2012
Artist’s Reception: Sunday August 5 from 2 to 4pm
Marblehead, MA – Fran Gardino will be exhibiting his large format photography at the Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper Street, Marblehead from August 4- Sept 2 in the Ballroom Gallery.
The exhibit "At the Ocean’s Edge” includes seaside photos from his recent visit to Sicily, honoring the year 2012, 100th anniversary of his grandfather’s emigration to Boston. All of Fran’s grandparents were born in Sicily, and those on his father’s side were fisherman. His ancestors were told that the ocean was “full of gold”, cod that is. The Old Italian expression “America was made for me” indicated the abundance of “new world” resources available to the arriving masses of immigrants. Fran’s new Italian American expression “Sicily was made for me” refers to the abundance of photographic subjects that he has recently discovered in Sicily, some of which will be shown in this show including a 10 foot long panorama photo on canvas of the yellow rock laden Sciacca Italy coast, and a 7 foot long print of the Capri Harbor sunset.
Following Fran’s 2010 MAA photo show “Down by the Riverside” in the ballroom of the Hooper mansion, this show represents an expansion of his horizon in several ways. First, there are coastal images from many locations including Boston’s north and south shore, Canadian Maritimes, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod, Grand Isle Louisiana, Malibu California, as well as the Sicilian cities of Sciacca, Taormina and Siracusa. Secondly, the prints on Moab Unryu rice paper of naturally formed calligraphic markings found on the beach in Brewster MA. Quoting his friend and calligraphy artist Michiko Imai, “These photos are beautiful and new, unlike any other”.
Finally, there are several large and small photos printed on Hahnemuhle Bamboo paper. This paper was specially chosen to present the striking tone and detail of his “Cactus Plant over Taormina Bay”.
The exhibit runs from August 4 through September 2, 2012 with an opening reception on Sunday, August 5, 2-4pm.
On August 31 Fran invites all to visit the southern end of Revere Beach at sunset for the “Low Sun Moon Celebration” on the occurrence of a simultaneous Low Tide, Sunset and Moonrise, which was inspired by, and the location of Fran’s 10 foot photo image “Revere Beach Sunset” that happens to be currently showing until August 5th in the Off the Wall” exhibit juried by MFA’s Cody Hartley at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham MA.
Fran Gardino
In addition to having 2 large-scale photo installations at Logan airport, several long panorama photos in the offices of the Charles River Conservancy in Harvard Square, the Mystic River Watershed in Arlington MA and 12 photos in the Wellness Center in Dedham MA, Fran has participated in local solo and group shows with a constantly evolving series of photographic work. His landscape photos reflect the combination of photographic and painterly influences accumulated while earning a BFA in Painting from Mass College of Art.
All of his panorama photos are shot in multiple shot sequences and stitched together using Photoshop Merge. The images reflect the process of him panning and tilting his camera to capture the scene, much like a cinematographer would capture a movie scene. Like watching a wide screen movie or TV, his panorama photos are a series of curiosities assembled into one image.
He has managed to generate an appeal to a variety of age groups, tree huggers and ocean and river lovers and city dwellers alike, through his careful photographic observations, sense of humor, high-octane artistic energy and total devotion to art. He has shown his work in numerous shows including the Danforth Museum in Framingham, the Print Triennial in Krakow Poland, the Brighton/Allston Historical Museum, Allston/Brighton Open Studios, NewTV and the Vermont Artisans and Gallery 2 in Brattleboro VT. Jurors from the Boston MFA and DeCordova Museums have accepted his work.
Fran has self-published two blurb.com photo books named “Paint the Sky Fiery” of the Boston Pops fireworks and “Touch the Sky” of cloud photos taken from the cabin of commercial flights. In the spring of 2012 twenty of Fran’s “Touch the Sky” photos on canvas were exhibited in the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art of the Midland Center for the Arts in Midland MI. He has hundreds of photos posted on “Google Maps” and “Sewers of the World Unite” websites.
Fran Gardino
www.frangardino.com
”At the Ocean’s Edge”
Artist’s Statement
One year ago, a friend of mine told me of an Ansel Adams photo show at PEM (Peabody Essex Museum) in Salem, MA. We promptly arrived on the first Sunday in June of 2011, only to find that the show was planned for June of 2012. We had to wait an entire year!
During the intervening winter, after reading the Ansel Adams autobiography, the dream of my own photo show on a similar subject matter began. For years, I had already photographed the ocean's edge, primarily in Boston and the surrounding areas. Coincidentally, I had also planned a trip this past May to Sicily, home of my grandparents on the 100th anniversary of their emigration to the USA. My father’s ancestors were fishermen and chose Boston due to the fact that the ocean here is “full of gold” --- cod fish, that is.
My show “At the Ocean’s Edge” at the Marblehead Art Association includes 30+ of my photos of the old and new homelands as well as western USA coastal locations. The similarities and differences are striking. The photos show the majesty, strength and power of the oceans, of plush coastal seaweed, shellfish and the life sustaining natural wealth of our local oceans and the hardened Sicilian coast.
As a photo artist, I try to capture the beauty, boldness and elemental spirit of each location. In the process, it becomes clear to me why my ancestors came to, and stayed in, the USA. As America was made for them to fish, the ocean’s edges were made for me to photograph.
FG - June 2012
www.frangardino.com
On August 31 I invite all to visit the southern end of Revere Beach at sunset for the “Low Sun Moon Celebration” on the occurrence of a simultaneous Low Tide, Sunset and Moonrise, which was inspired by, and the location of my 10 foot photo image “Revere Beach Sunset” currently showing until August 5th in the "Off the Wall” exhibit juried by MFA’s Cody Hartley at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham MA.
