Michael Mazzeo Gallery
508 West 26th Street, No. 318, 212-741-6599
Chelsea
March 29 - April 12, 2007
Reception: Thursday, March 29, 6 - 8 PM
Web Site
After, an exhibition curated by John A. Bennette consists of photographic impressions of life following (un)natural disasters and includes artists Wyatt Gallery, Radek Skrivanek and Will Steacy.
Mr. Bennette takes a poetic approach to documentary imagery. His concerns are with the intangible aspects of loss and memory, seeing not only what has been ravaged, but also the unexpected events and otherworldly humor found in these extraordinary situations. These phenomena invite contemplation about why we allow these situations to happen. At the edges we are aware of life’s struggle to take hold again.
Radek Skrivanek’s project explores the legacy of the former Soviet regime and its destructive impact on the environment of Central Asia, specifically, the Aral Sea. Once the fourth largest lake in the world, it is likely to disappear in the near future. Its rapid demise has severely impacted regional climates, agiculture and economies. Mr. Skrivanek hopes that his stark and vivid documentation of the region will heighten awareness and encourage debate about environmental and economic policies.
Will Steacy’s images of flood-damaged photographs, made while documenting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, examine the evidence of lives washed away. The found photographs have been stolen, stained and transformed by the floodwaters. The distorted images represent the condition of the people they depict – displaced, scarred, and in transition as they end one life and work to begin a new one.