Barry Lobdell will be hard at work in the gallery Wednesday hanging his show !2983: Exploring Saranac Lake. You are all invited to the opening reception on Friday, August 1 from 5-7 p.m. in the AAG gallery. Barrys artists statement and further information is posted here~ 12983 Exploring Saranac Lake The Adirondack Artists Guild will present 12983: Exploring Saranac Lake, an exhibit of photographs by Barry Lobdell during the month of August. The show will run from August 1 through September 2, with an opening reception on Friday August 1 from 5-7 PM. Barry Lobdell is a photographer who lives in Saranac Lake, NY. He is a member of the Adirondack Artists Guild, where his photographs are regularly on display in the Guild’s gallery and on their website, adirondackartistsguild. He also has a personal website, barrylobdellphotography Mr. Lobdell writes, “12983 is the postal zip code for Saranac Lake and the immediate geographic area, where the photographs in this exhibit were taken. This place is blessed by natural beauty and deeply etched with the markings of almost 200 years of settled history. “When my wife Janis and I first came to the Tri-Lakes region 18 years ago looking for a place to settle, we explored Tupper Lake and Lake Placid but didnt feel a strong connection to either of those villages. Driving through Saranac Lake, we immediately noticed the distinctive and historic architecture of the town and began to feel ourselves drawn into the “vibe” of the place. We contemplated our decision while having brunch one Sunday in the dining room of the Hotel Saranac. Maybe it was because we were moving from the Saratoga Springs area, which also features many historic and beautiful buildings, but whatever it was we felt wed found our new home. “The subjects of these photographs range from interior views made in public and private buildings to various elements of the natural surroundings. One cannot contemplate Saranac Lake without considering its location amidst thousands and thousands of acres of wilderness. My efforts were not based on a desire to simply document particular buildings or natural forms but instead to find ways to express my interpretation of those elements from an artistic viewpoint - to bring forth what is hidden from typical viewing by passersby and get to the core of each subject. In essence, the photographs are attempts at reading the spirit and personality of this place – its past and its present. “The idea behind this exhibit came from my viewing a collection of images of Malone, New York by photographer Michael Hart, who showed his work at the Pouring Light Gallery in Malone last year. I was inspired to attempt a similar effort here in Saranac Lake. “Whether the past or present is grander may be debatable but there is eloquence in these towns. Sometimes the past has kept its secrets hidden from us but in many ways it continues to live through the architectural structures and certainly through the natural environment which surrounds us.” Barry Lobdell’s artistic philosophy is summed up in the following statement: “The technical circumstances of my photography have changed over the years but the objective remains the same, to find the heart of what I see and present it to others using the best tools available. My subject matter is often the natural landscape, particularly the Adirondack Mountain region of northern New York, where I make my home. I am also intrigued by the cultural landscape, in which man and his creations become my subjects.” His work has won acclaim on the local, regional and national stages. Since 2003, his work has been shown in Palm Beach, FL, Bridgeport, CT, Cambridge, MA, Old Forge, NY, Manchester, VT, Boone, NC, Middlebury, VT and Boston, MA. On the more local scene, he was the first recipient of the Barbara Johnson Parnass Art in Public Spaces Program Prize in Saranac Lake in 2003. In the same year, he won the Best in Show/Purchase Prize in the North Country Regional Juried Art Show at the Gibson Gallery in Potsdam, NY. He won First Prize for Photography in the 2010 Adirondack Life Juried Exhibition at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, a competition in which he won Second Prize in 2003 and the Best in Show award in 1997. The Adirondack Artists Guild is a cooperative retail art gallery representing a diverse group of regional artists residing and working in the Tri-Lakes region of the Adirondack Park. The gallery is located at 52 Main St, Saranac Lake, 518 891-2615. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 until 5, with extended hours until 7 on Thursdays, and 11-3 on Sundays. The Guild is on the web at adirondackartistsguild, and on Facebook at Adirondack Artists Guild.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 02:13:07 +0000