Conversion: photographs by Perry Slade

  • Nov. 9, 2020 - Jan. 7, 2021, 9:00 am US/Central

 

Virtually on display November 10, 2020 – January 7, 2021

Biography

Born in Greensboro North Carolina but raised in Newark NJ.  From a very young age used the drawn or painted or coloring books to express himself.  Self-taught in photography, which began in earnest during 1972 with the purchase of his first film camera [Minolta SRT101].  Processing images in black and white primarily.  Living a short ride outside New York, NY the choice of subjects and subject matter was endless albeit primarily that of the urban and industrial environment. Perry lives in Aurora, IL where he works from his home studio on various commercial and fine art projects.

He has exhibited works locally in group shows or exclusively and also is a member of the Water Street Studios Batavia, IL – Artist Collective.

Photography allows me to react quickly to a visual opportunity or slow down in a very deliberate manner to create a meaningful image that has staying power. Most of my work is

done with a digital medium format camera on the one hand and a digital SLR on the other and presented in black and white.  I use software to process and store my images.  Process them to the extent similar to the characteristic that film processing affords.

My primary focus is to create meaningful photographic images that appeal to himself and to others.  Images that tell a story in a singular way or are part of a series of images that collectively tell a story or simply exist for their own sake.

 

Artist Statement

Photography has always been a vehicle for me to express myself in a way that comes quite natural to me. Although my body of work, in general, is eclectic when it comes to subject matter, this particular series of works is narrowly focused and is in fact ongoing.

Finding the intersection of “urban hieroglyphics” as produced by Highway Engineers and what could be seen as simplified mathematical equations, as part and parcel of his final photographic image.

This is a work in progress.  It is an exploration of a theme that took root some years ago while on a road trip back to my hometown:  Newark, NJ.  As a photographer you are always open to inspiration from your environment.  On this road trip, preparing to leave a rest stop, I glanced down and noticed the line that demarcates the parking spaces. I was drawn to the fragmented line, chipped, worn, abused by tire tread and would soon be repainted by the Department of Roads to a new bright white line.

The contrast, texture, starkness, juxtaposed against the worn asphalt blacktop on which it laid held my attention.  My thoughts moved from the graphic visuals of the line and asphalt to the purpose of how line is used to help hold society in balance then to elementary school when the line queue was drilled into our heads and finally back again to my conversion of this line to art.  I took note that there is a platform beneath our feet that holds possibilities of interesting lessons and imagery.

The series of images in this show represents my journey of artistic exploration of the written legacy of words and utilitarian symbols left by others with specific intent for them. My goal is to find the beauty in them from a visual perspective and share that perspective with others who may also find beauty in them and possibly other personal meanings.

At Home presents: Gallery Talk by Perry Slade

View the Gallery Talk

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