Recent Acquisitions
The Paul Paletti Gallery is the only gallery in Kentucky exclusively dedicated to museum quality fine art photography. Paul has been collecting photography for over 20 years and would like to welcome the public to come enjoy his most Recent Acquisitions of photographic art. The exhibit includes a select group of photographers including Carl Chiarenza, Rolfe Horn, Dominic Rouse, John Sexton, Aaron Siskind, Bradford Washburnand Edward Weston. These photographs are specially priced for the holiday season, many at less than half the prices at galleries in New York, Chicago and Boston. These new acquisitions exhibit a wide variety of styles, and exemplify the true beauty and technique of black and white photography as an artistic medium. The show will open with the First Friday Gallery Hop on December 4th from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and run through February 26th 2010.
Edward Weston
Edward Weston was born in Highland Park, Illinois in 1886. He was given his first camera at the age of 16 by his father. After attending Illinois College of Photography, he moved to California to work at a portrait studio retouching photographs. In 1909 he married his first wife, Flora, with whom he had four sons. He opened his own portrait studio in Tropico California.
Weston’s portraits and dance studies gained him international acknowledgements. He was published in many art and photography magazines. In 1912, Margrethe Mather became Weston’s assistant and most frequent model. In 1922, he visited ARMCO Steel Plant in Middletown, Ohio and photographed sharper, more detailed and abstract works in contrast to his earlier pictorialist soft focus work. In 1923, he moved to Mexico City and opened another photography studio with Tina Modotti, an actress who became his lover and important photographer under Weston’s guidance. Some of Weston’s most famous nude portraits were taken during this time in his career. Weston is one of the founding members of the Group f/64 along with photographers Ansel Adams, Willard Van Dyke, Imogen Cunningham and Sonya Noskowiak. F/64 is an optical term for setting camera lenses. Once set to that aperture, you’re guaranteed sharpness of both foreground and distance of the image plane.
In 1934, he met Charis Wilson (1914-2009) who became his model, lover, muse, wife and collaborator in writing article and grant applications. He was the first photographer to ever receive the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1936. In the last 10 years of his life, Weston suffered from Parkinson’s disease. He supervised his sons, Brett and Cole as they printed his work. Weston’s legacy lies in how he captured natural / organic forms, close-ups, nudes and landscapes. He is generally considered one of the most important photographers of all time. He died in 1958.
Edward Weston was born in Highland Park, Illinois in 1886. He was given his first camera at the age of 16 by his father. After attending Illinois College of Photography, he moved to California to work at a portrait studio retouching photographs. In 1909 he married his first wife, Flora, with whom he had four sons. He opened his own portrait studio in Tropico California.
Weston’s portraits and dance studies gained him international acknowledgements. He was published in many art and photography magazines. In 1912, Margrethe Mather became Weston’s assistant and most frequent model. In 1922, he visited ARMCO Steel Plant in Middletown, Ohio and photographed sharper, more detailed and abstract works in contrast to his earlier pictorialist soft focus work. In 1923, he moved to Mexico City and opened another photography studio with Tina Modotti, an actress who became his lover and important photographer under Weston’s guidance. Some of Weston’s most famous nude portraits were taken during this time in his career. Weston is one of the founding members of the Group f/64 along with photographers Ansel Adams, Willard Van Dyke, Imogen Cunningham and Sonya Noskowiak. F/64 is an optical term for setting camera lenses. Once set to that aperture, you’re guaranteed sharpness of both foreground and distance of the image plane.
In 1934, he met Charis Wilson (1914-2009) who became his model, lover, muse, wife and collaborator in writing article and grant applications. He was the first photographer to ever receive the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1936. In the last 10 years of his life, Weston suffered from Parkinson’s disease. He supervised his sons, Brett and Cole as they printed his work. Weston’s legacy lies in how he captured natural / organic forms, close-ups, nudes and landscapes. He is generally considered one of the most important photographers of all time. He died in 1958.
Bradford Washburn
Bradford Washburn began climbing and taking photographs in the French Alps when he was a teenager. His mother was an amateur photographer who had given him his first camera when he was thirteen. After making his first Alpine climb at the age of sixteen he was introduced to Alpine photography by a man named Georges Tairraz. Most of his adult life was spent exploring and capturing Mount McKinley and the Alaska Range. Not only was he a climber and photographer but he was also a mapmaker and cartographer. During his time of exploration, he captured extraordinary glaciers, high peaks and canyons. All photographs of these places were taken for purposes of making maps and exploring territory. However, the natural repetitive patterning and strong light he captures makes his images appear wonderfully abstract. Brad was director of Boston’s Museum of Science for 40 years.
Bradford Washburn began climbing and taking photographs in the French Alps when he was a teenager. His mother was an amateur photographer who had given him his first camera when he was thirteen. After making his first Alpine climb at the age of sixteen he was introduced to Alpine photography by a man named Georges Tairraz. Most of his adult life was spent exploring and capturing Mount McKinley and the Alaska Range. Not only was he a climber and photographer but he was also a mapmaker and cartographer. During his time of exploration, he captured extraordinary glaciers, high peaks and canyons. All photographs of these places were taken for purposes of making maps and exploring territory. However, the natural repetitive patterning and strong light he captures makes his images appear wonderfully abstract. Brad was director of Boston’s Museum of Science for 40 years.
Aaron Siskind
Aaron was born in New York in 1903. He’s most noted for being an abstract expressionist photographer. He received a camera as a wedding present and first used it to shoot pictures on his honeymoon. He realized the vast possibilities offered by this gift. Siskind was an English teacher at a New York public school. . He was also a member of the New York Photo League which led him on to produce a series of well known images that represented an elevated level of social consciousness in the 1930’s. The “Harlem Document” is the most famous of the series, which chronicled street life during the depression. In 1950, he met Harry Callahan while teaching in the summer. They both joined the faculty of the ITT Institute of Design in Chicago. In 1971, Aaron followed in Callahan’s footsteps by taking a position at Rhode Island School of Design. By 1971, Aaron Siskind was considered a master of photography. At that time he was producing artwork while also being published and exhibited widely. Siskind taught at the school until his death in 1991.
Aaron was born in New York in 1903. He’s most noted for being an abstract expressionist photographer. He received a camera as a wedding present and first used it to shoot pictures on his honeymoon. He realized the vast possibilities offered by this gift. Siskind was an English teacher at a New York public school. . He was also a member of the New York Photo League which led him on to produce a series of well known images that represented an elevated level of social consciousness in the 1930’s. The “Harlem Document” is the most famous of the series, which chronicled street life during the depression. In 1950, he met Harry Callahan while teaching in the summer. They both joined the faculty of the ITT Institute of Design in Chicago. In 1971, Aaron followed in Callahan’s footsteps by taking a position at Rhode Island School of Design. By 1971, Aaron Siskind was considered a master of photography. At that time he was producing artwork while also being published and exhibited widely. Siskind taught at the school until his death in 1991.
John Sexton
John was born in Maywood, California in 1953. He attended Cypress College and intended to become an industrial advertising photographer. Shortly after graduating, Sexton visited an Ansel Adams exhibit in Pasadena, California and took a workshop under Adams. Both photographers shared the same passion for photographing nature. Ansel became a mentor and John worked as technical and photographic assistant to Ansel from 1979 – 1984.
John teaches photography workshops across the U.S. and other countries, specializing in the techniques of printing and emphasizing learning the Zone System. Today, he still continues as Photographic Special Projects Consultant to the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and is also a consultant for Kodak. John’s quiet capture of nature in its simplistic existence has captivated many artists, gallery audiences and advertisers. He has published several books and his work has been featured in many noted magazines including; Time, Life and American Photo.
John was born in Maywood, California in 1953. He attended Cypress College and intended to become an industrial advertising photographer. Shortly after graduating, Sexton visited an Ansel Adams exhibit in Pasadena, California and took a workshop under Adams. Both photographers shared the same passion for photographing nature. Ansel became a mentor and John worked as technical and photographic assistant to Ansel from 1979 – 1984.
John teaches photography workshops across the U.S. and other countries, specializing in the techniques of printing and emphasizing learning the Zone System. Today, he still continues as Photographic Special Projects Consultant to the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and is also a consultant for Kodak. John’s quiet capture of nature in its simplistic existence has captivated many artists, gallery audiences and advertisers. He has published several books and his work has been featured in many noted magazines including; Time, Life and American Photo.
Rolfe Horn
Rolfe Horn was born in Northern California in 1971. His fascination with photography began as a child, and at the age of 15, he built his first darkroom. Horn studied photography independently for several years, and then entered Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996 with honors. After graduating, Horn worked as an assistant to photographer Micheal Kenna. He continues to live and work in the San Francisco Bay area, and his work has been shown in galleries throughout the U.S. He has also been featured in several magazines and has published five books of photography.
Rolfe Horn was born in Northern California in 1971. His fascination with photography began as a child, and at the age of 15, he built his first darkroom. Horn studied photography independently for several years, and then entered Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996 with honors. After graduating, Horn worked as an assistant to photographer Micheal Kenna. He continues to live and work in the San Francisco Bay area, and his work has been shown in galleries throughout the U.S. He has also been featured in several magazines and has published five books of photography.
Carl Chiarenza
Carl was born in Rochester, NY. He studied photography at Rochester Institute of Technology with Ralph Hattersley, Minor White, Charles Arnold and Beaumont Newhall. He received an M.S. degree at Boston University. He taught the first course in the history of photography ever offered in an art history department at Boston University. He also opened a gallery in Boston which exhibited noted fine art contemporary photographers. In 1973, he earned his PhD from Harvard University with his thesis written on photographer Aaron Siskind, later published as, Aaron Siskind: Pleasures and Terrors.
Today, Carl is retired and is an artist-in-residence at the University of Rochester. He still practices film photography. Carl’s work has been described as dark, abstract and mysterious. He works in a studio-controlled environment, using a large format camera, carefully collaging materials together and photographing them using the medium of light to control the surfaces. As a result, his imagery appears as miniature unusual landscapes. In some instances Carl creates these landscapes using materials as simple as foil and strips of paper.
Carl was born in Rochester, NY. He studied photography at Rochester Institute of Technology with Ralph Hattersley, Minor White, Charles Arnold and Beaumont Newhall. He received an M.S. degree at Boston University. He taught the first course in the history of photography ever offered in an art history department at Boston University. He also opened a gallery in Boston which exhibited noted fine art contemporary photographers. In 1973, he earned his PhD from Harvard University with his thesis written on photographer Aaron Siskind, later published as, Aaron Siskind: Pleasures and Terrors.
Today, Carl is retired and is an artist-in-residence at the University of Rochester. He still practices film photography. Carl’s work has been described as dark, abstract and mysterious. He works in a studio-controlled environment, using a large format camera, carefully collaging materials together and photographing them using the medium of light to control the surfaces. As a result, his imagery appears as miniature unusual landscapes. In some instances Carl creates these landscapes using materials as simple as foil and strips of paper.
Dominic Rouse
Dominic is a digital photographer from England. He began photographing for newspapers at the age of 16. During his time in college, he gained interest in technique of multiple exposures. He continued to use this technique with large format cameras. Dominic’s photographs showcase multiple layered visions of odd, captivating and often haunting imagery. In 1986, he opened his own studio. Today, Dominic lives in Thailand and continues to produce multiple exposure large format digital photography.
Dominic is a digital photographer from England. He began photographing for newspapers at the age of 16. During his time in college, he gained interest in technique of multiple exposures. He continued to use this technique with large format cameras. Dominic’s photographs showcase multiple layered visions of odd, captivating and often haunting imagery. In 1986, he opened his own studio. Today, Dominic lives in Thailand and continues to produce multiple exposure large format digital photography.
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