San
Francisco Photographer Nancy Warner Announces From the press release: San Francisco, CA - May 28, 2002 - Every photograph selects a portion of reality from a point of view. That instant of exposure, a split-second of light flooding a sensitive surface, in turn undergoes selective enhancements and transformations, chemical or digital, as the image finds its home among the amazing variety of visual media we take for granted in the twenty-first century. The photographer's selections--where to stand, when to open the shutter, how to process the image, what to do with it when it's completed--anticipate another set of selections: those of the viewer. We learn to read images just as surely as we learn to read the alphabet. Or faces. Or the sky. Even the most casual glance involves choices, interpretation, a movement of both the eye and the heart. It's easy to forget, in the digital age, that we are animals, that vision is visceral, biological--not just another technology. Those who see well survive. Perhaps this helps to explain the enduring appeal of the expressive black and white print, that object of veneration by legions of West Coast photographers, not to mention their collectors and fans. This most tactile form of photographic selection, involving long hours of labor in the darkroom with chemicals and film and paper, still commands attention in the age of "You've Got Pictures." Like a great Chinese painting, a great black and white photograph can transmit human experience directly and intimately. Just as the brushstrokes of an ink painting convey the gestures and character of the painter, a photograph can convey not only a way of seeing, but a way of being in the world, a human presence. San Francisco photographer Nancy Warner's latest show, "Selections: 1998 - 2002," provides a unique opportunity to witness the ongoing evolution of a master printer and a distinct American eye. It includes over thirty gelatin silver prints--a selection of selections made from silver atoms and chlorides: still life images created in the studio, meditations on Japanese shrines and temples, images of rural Nebraska, and some portraits. (Warner makes her living as a portrait photographer.) All were created since 1998, when she moved her studio to its current location near the gates of Chinatown. There are some surprising examples of color work as well, including a large installation made from point-and-shoot APS prints. The roots of Warner's style are not difficult to discern. She is a long-time devotee of Ruth Bernhard's work, especially her still life (such as the famous teapot) and exquisite lighting. In addition to Bernhard, she has studied with John Sexton, Martha Casanave, and other California photographers. Aaron Siskind and Oliver Gagliani have also been strong influences. But these are not derivative images. Warner has a meditative, probing style that is distinctly her own. Some of her subject matter may sound exotic--Chinatown alleyways, Japanese temples--but a coherent way of seeing underlies everything she does. These photographs are the visible trace of a visceral response, a longing satisfied, a deliberate, systematic exploration of reality with a lover's touch. They reaffirm the power of the human eye to select intelligently, with feeling and grace. Consider Warner's still life, for example. When she first came under the sway of Ruth Bernhard in the 1980s, she began experimenting with fruit, leaves, flowers, and found objects. Eventually she produced some classic still life images. Seven pears nestled together. A couple of dried leaves against a black background. A silver dollar plant against white blinds. These are successful images in their own right. (Some of them can be viewed on her web site.) By contrast, the still life in her current show has evolved significantly. In general, she has moved in closer, scrutinizing the objects she finds with an ever more intimate gaze (another form of selection). Many have just a hint of sepia tone, such as a closeup of a rose just past its prime; the petals of a wilted lily, hanging upside down, minutes before they fall off; or a playfully erotic triptych of butternut squashes, very close in. These images reward quiet observation, invite a thoughtful response. Warner does not repeat herself, or pay homage to trends, or target a market. She has been single-mindedly pursuing her own vision for more than twenty-five years. The work in this show demonstrates that she is a force to be reckoned with on the local photography scene. Her last major show, in 1999, was "Outside In: Interpretations of Chinatown," a collaboration with Deanne Delbridge, a conceptual artist and photography consultant. That show highlighted her Chinatown series. (Some images from this series are also available on her web site.) "Selections: 1998-2002" also celebrates the formal opening of Gallery OneZero. This new venue for photographers and other artists, located just off Grant Avenue between Pine and California, occupies a portion of Warner's large, well-lit studio. After hosting several short-term shows and events, she is now opening Gallery OneZero to the public on a regular basis every Friday and Saturday afternoon and the first Thursday evenings of every month. About the Event Photography show and reception SHOW: Selections: 1998-2002 (Photographs by Nancy Warner)
RECEPTION:
About Gallery OneZero An exhibit space for photographers and other artists founded by Nancy Warner in 2002, overlooking Grant Avenue and downtown San Francisco. Future shows will include paintings and performance pieces. About Nancy Warner Nancy Warner is a fine-art and portrait photographer who has lived and worked in San Francisco for 26 years. Warner's photographs have been exhibited in San Francisco; Omaha, Nebraska; New Haven, Connecticut; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and at the Oakland Museum. She has studied with Ruth Bernhard, Martha Casanave, John Sexton, and other California photographers. Her work includes digital color prints, Polaroid image transfers, hand-made books, and photographic installations as well as black-and-white photography. For a press kit or more information, please contact Sean Cotter at 415.989.9157. |
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