PhotoMidwest opened last Friday with the Seven State juried show at the Memorial Union. Once again I paid my entrance fee and submitted a set of photographic masterpieces; once again all were rejected by the juror.
Only this time I had slammed up against the juror's prejudices. All my photos were people pics. And out of the forty seven pictures selected only one could be remotely called a people pic. In the two or three others that included a human figure, it was there as an accent to a landscape.
To see what I mean, click on http://photomidwest.org and watch the slide show. This year landscapes and still-lifes ruled. The juror also didn't show up for the traditional speech to open the show. All I can say is "BOO!"
But PhotoMidwest isn't a total washout. I have nine people pics up at the CPM Human Interest Group Show. If you are in the Madison area the show is hanging at the Social Justice Center, 1202 Williamson Street through October 31st.
Three photos formed the large Young Shakespeare Players triptych I hung when the Human Interest Group was the Photographer of the Month at CPM earlier this year. Rehanging that show was the original plan, but since we had double the wall space at the Center, a call went out for more photos a few weeks ago. I contributed four. Finally when we hung the pictures yesterday morning we still ended up with an empty gap at the end of the main hallway. Since I had two large photos that fit the theme--What Makes Madison Unique-- already framed I brought them in and hung them just before the reception opened. May have ended up with more than my share up on the wall but that happened honestly.
Williamson Street being Willy Street, three street people showed up to open the reception. One heaped up a plate and filled a couple glasses of wine before moving on to another reception. Yesterday was Gallery Night and he had fifty or so other openings to visit.
The other two dropped their packs and decided to stay. One was quite tha talker. He kept us amused with a long confession on how cocaine and booze had cost him the $500,000 house and the fancy cars and 36 foot boat and how he was now born again and straightening out his life. As to how much of the tale was story and how much was true...? But I will give him credit on straightening out his life. He kept away from the free wine and beer.
The last one was much quieter and genuinely interested in the pictures. He studied them all before settling in a chair in front of one of mine.
"The best; the best" he told me in broken English. "Going to come out and roll all over me." A man down on his luck but still with a good eye.
All and all, not the usual gallery opening.
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