Photographer Paul Weiner curates Zeitgeist exhibit
By Susie Davidson
Advocate Correspondent
Photographer Paul
Weiner has a knack for following interesting people around. His artist
portraits have been featured in over 100 exhibitions throughout the US; his
images, which are set in darkness by utilizing controlled artificial and
natural light as well as manipulated time sequences, have appeared in national
magazines such as Photographer's Forum, Photo Metro and Photo Review, and
locally in the Boston Globe, ArtsMedia, the Weekly Dig and the Boston Phoenix.
From Sept. 23ÐOct. 5, his curated show ÒThe Art of Darkness,Ó at the Zeitgeist
Gallery in Inman Square, Cambridge, will feature his work as well as that of
three others known for employing a minimally illuminated, yet visually
arresting approach. The exhibit is free, with an opening reception to be held
on Sunday, Sept. 28, from 3-6 p.m.
In surreal yet telling, momentary glimpses, WeinerÕs cibachrome
prints capture artists in their studios in the dark with the use of a simple
flashlight.
Weiner, a Dallas native who holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from
the University of Texas and a bachelorÕs degree in Chemistry from Tulane, is a
software developer of scientific and technical developer in Milford in addition
to a freelance photographer whose work has included bar mitzvahs. He credits
his Judaic upbringing with instilling a regard for the value of all human
beings. ÒThere was a mixture of religions and peoples in Texas,Ó he recalled.
ÒI acquired a tolerance for the beliefs of others, including their outlooks and
life interests. My photos are a sort of psychological study of artists and
their environments, a look at what drives them to do what they do.Ó
WeinerÕs family belonged to a Reform congregation; his parents are
from Philadelphia and New York, his grandparents Polish and Russian immigrants.
His two brothers are still in Texas.
The Zeitgeist show will also feature the photography of Nicolas
Bernier, Eva Hidvegi Demjen and Lance Keimig. Bernier and Keimig favor nighttime landscapes, BernierÕs of an
electrified New York and KeimigÕs, industrial and rural settings. Bernier, who
was raised in the south of France, Greece and Paris, studied at Ecole du Louvre
for ten years, and earned his Architect D.P.L.G. Degree at Ecole des Beaux Arts
in 1995. His blurred yet bright Manhattan West Side skylines, created by
zooming in while on the Staten Island ferry, were selected for a 1987 Municipal
Art Society/Urban Center international competition. "This work is a vision
of an electrified Big Apple shining, shaking, vibrating and resonating in the
darkness of night,Ó observed publicist Mary Curtin. ÒImagine a huge and busy
ocean liner sailing in enigmatic silence toward a future of unexpected events,Ó
she added.
Keimig, first introduced to the
camera in 1984, nearly always photographs at night. He draws upon lunar and
artificial sources of illumination in his single-exposure scenes of industrial
sites, which are then fashioned into both black and white and color prints. "The night is a canvas on which to
build an image over the course of time,Ó he said. ÒMinutes, or even hours, are compounded on top of each other,
forced onto a single frame of film.Ó
Demjen created his photograms in darkrooms by placing objects,
such as flowers and marbles, on photosensitive paper and exposing it to light,
resulting in multi-gradient layers. A native of Budapest who emigrated to the
US in 1973, Demjen has exhibited her work since 1965; her awards include
ÒPicture of the YearÓ by the Hungarian Art Association for Photography and the
ÒAsahi ShimbunÓ by the Japan Association of Photographic Societies. She
co-founded the custom photo lab Black and White Inc.; her work is currently in
several private collections and the De Cordova Museum corporate art program
Weiner continues in his signature vein. ÒMy ongoing series of
photographic portraits of artists studies how they create personal identity
through their art,Ó he explained, noting that he carefully arranges props,
which accentuate the symbiosis between the artist and their work. ÒThe use of
dramatic, surreal lighting blurs the distinction between the artists and their
creations and helps to more clearly communicate the roles that they are
playing,Ó he added. ÒThe series provides insight into the private world of
artists, as well as a historical record of the nature and variety of artistic
work currently being produced."
The opening reception for ÒThe Art of DarknessÓ is Sunday, Sept.
28, from 3-6 p.m. The exhibit, which runs through Oct. 5, is free, open to the
public and wheelchair accessible. At the Zeitgeist Gallery, 1353 Cambridge St.,
Inman Square, Cambridge. For information, please call 617-876-6060 or visit www.zeitgeist-gallery.org.