EXPOsure Shows Off Photographers' Works

Mirrored Microcosm by Holly Gordon is among foto gallery members’ works on display in the show EXPOsure.

By Sophia Ricco
sricco@longislandergroup.com

As the oldest fine art photography gallery on Long Island, fotofoto has amassed professional photographers guided by independent focus and purpose. In celebration of its 16th anniversary, fotofoto presents “EXPOsure” through June 29. A title with dual meanings, it refers to photographers working with exposure and exposing the public to members’ talent.

“The camera is such a malleable tool,” public relations member Holly Gordon said. “When you know its capabilities, you can do anything. You have to have that vision and know there are many paths you can take.”

Fotofoto was opened in 2003 by photographers who wished to share their work and maintain control over their exhibitions.

“We know how to control the camera, but just because you know this, doesn’t mean you will create a work of art,” Gordon said. “We have a specific vision or purpose when we look at the world through our lenses. We have an idea and know exactly what we want to see.”

Gordon feels a photographer’s creativity is evolutionary, constantly shifting and changing based on the outside world and their internal feelings. When a photographer captures an image, they put a part of themselves into what is seen.

Untitled, by Bruce Cohen

Each fotofoto member was given the opportunity to hang pieces that represent them. For this years’ “EXPOsure,” 11 artists will show everything from street photography to wildlife to abstract.

Gordon found hanging the exhibit was a work of an art in itself, with the pieces finding ways to flow and relate. “When visitors come in and see the work, they can read a little bit about each of us,” Gordon said. “What makes us tick and why we shoot the way we do. Every member has their own methodology. We’re not cookie cutter people. We march to our own drummer.”

Suspended Beauty, by Andrea M. Gordon

Gordon chose to exhibit “Mirrored Microcosm,” a massive metal replication of a picture taken over ten years in Chicago. While standing under the shiny sculpture “Cloud Gate” by Anish Kapoor – known as “The Bean” – at Millennium Park Foundation, Gordon saw her viewfinder fill up with shapes and colors as like in a funhouse mirror. “The crazy thing is, I am in the reflections,” Gordon said.  “When you look at it, you will find certain figures stand out and are repeated four, five, six times. It’s all of these reverberating reflections.” The convex and concave twists of the sculpture allowed Gordon to capture what she calls a “frenetic way of life” as tourists snap their cameras without truly seeing what’s in front of them.

Bay at Dusk, by Aronda Xystris

Her work and those of her fellow photographers will be on display at “EXPOsure.” Stop by and meet them at the public reception held on June 1, 5-7 p.m. at fotofoto gallery, 14 W. Carver St., Huntington.