Spring Arts Preview 2013: Photography
Photography shows this season have us seeing in black and white.
By Seattle Mag March 1, 2013
This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.
In this age of Instagram and countless other image enhancers, spend some time celebrating the sheer power of black-and-white photography
Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows
The story is nothing short of incredible. A nanny who lived in New York City and Chicago, Vivian Maier was also a devoted shutterbug who took captivating street shots of everyday people—amounting to a roll of film a day from the 1950s through the ’70s. But she kept her hobby private, piling up more than 100,000 negatives in storage units, which went undiscovered until 2007. Her incisive eye is remarkable, and her story is an ode to art for art’s sake. Through 3/28. Photo Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave.; 206.720.7222; pcnw.org
Wayne Levin: Underworld
Los Angeles–born Wayne Levin has long been drawn to underwater scenes, but instead of producing blue-green, sun-soaked images, he works in black and white, which lends a dreamy, otherworldly feel to his work. Sea turtles, sharks, surfers, swimmers and shipwrecks are all revealed in a state of grace that echoes the calm, quiet feeling of being submerged. 3/7–4/13. M.I.A Gallery, 1203A Second Ave.; 206.467.4927; m-i-a-gallery.com
Out [o] Fashion Photography: Embracing Beauty
Get past the odd punctuation of its title and check out this exhibit of gorgeous photographs pulled from the Henry’s collection and the University of Washington Libraries’ Special Collections. Featuring work by “knowns” (Imogen Cunningham, Edward Curtis and Andy Warhol) and unknowns, the exhibit examines beauty—how we conceive it, construct it and believe in it. 3/2–7/7. Henry Art Gallery, UW campus, near the intersection of 15th Avenue NE and NE 41th Street; 206.543.2280; henryart.org
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