Larry Garmezy
Fractured
A Photographic Adventure With
400-Year-Old Glass, by Larry Garmezy
October 5 - 31, 2024
Read the Foreword to my Exhibition Catalog by Karen Schiff, MFA/PhD
See some of the images from my recent exhibition in the first 9 slides in the slideshow below. The other works span my career. To see all the work in the exhibition click here.
For my sixth solo photography exhibition at Archway Gallery, I have expanded on my interest in visual distortion, this time using antique hand-blown glass to provide a new perspective. The project began over ten years ago in The Netherlands when I noticed the fractured and faceted appearance of a local carnival as seen through the 17th-century windows of the Delft City Hall. Inspired, I began capturing more images through original glass windows in other European buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.
A Photographic Adventure With
400-Year-Old Glass, by Larry Garmezy
October 5 - 31, 2024
Read the Foreword to my Exhibition Catalog by Karen Schiff, MFA/PhD
See some of the images from my recent exhibition in the first 9 slides in the slideshow below. The other works span my career. To see all the work in the exhibition click here.
For my sixth solo photography exhibition at Archway Gallery, I have expanded on my interest in visual distortion, this time using antique hand-blown glass to provide a new perspective. The project began over ten years ago in The Netherlands when I noticed the fractured and faceted appearance of a local carnival as seen through the 17th-century windows of the Delft City Hall. Inspired, I began capturing more images through original glass windows in other European buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries.
Glass City
I continued this exploration in Houston with “restoration” glass manufactured in Germany using 400-year-old methods. Designing and building (with the help of Archway artist Robert Straight) a system for placing this glass between my subjects and the camera lens allowed me to deconstruct still lifes, portraits, musical instruments, Houston cityscapes, political landmarks and more. Together, these photographs help us reflect on the “fractured” world we live in and the challenge of seeing it clearly.
Hanging Out with
Feininger in Dublin
The images captured during this adventure have led me to speculate that the “faceting” I’ve observed, looking through centuries-old windows, could have influenced the artistic development of the cubism movement (1907 – 1918). What I’ve seen, in the 2020’s, was certainly observable by the artists of the early 1900’s looking through similar windows. The origin of this “faceting” in cubist paintings has been a mystery to art historians. In any case, my photographs bear an intriguing resemblance to the faceting characteristic of cubist paintings by Picasso, Braque, Delaunay, and Feininger. This exhibition is accompanied by a catalog with a forward by Karen Schiff, recently of the MFAH, and now teaching Drawing at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, whose research on the early work of Picasso informs her commentary on Garmezy’s work.
Fractured also includes a selection of my landscape photography from the last two years, created without distortion, for those who prefer a straightforward perspective. My photography is shaped by my early adventures as a geologist. Through this filter I capture the unique and subtle patterns and textures found in the details hidden in the recesses of the world around us. My work often chronicles what I find visually and intellectually intriguing in the natural world. Understanding the physical processes that create patterns in nature allows me to capture unusual impressions and abstractions of the visual landscape. Whether the images are landscapes or waterscapes I strive to convey the serenity of these spaces.
If you have any questions or want to discuss any of my work contact me at... [email protected] or get more backstories about the work on my website.
Most of my work is printed with archival ink on somerset velvet art paper at either 18” x 24”, 11" x 14", or 24” x 30”, but some are significantly larger. Custom sizes are available, and all works are limited signed editions of 25.
See more of my work in the store.
Fractured also includes a selection of my landscape photography from the last two years, created without distortion, for those who prefer a straightforward perspective. My photography is shaped by my early adventures as a geologist. Through this filter I capture the unique and subtle patterns and textures found in the details hidden in the recesses of the world around us. My work often chronicles what I find visually and intellectually intriguing in the natural world. Understanding the physical processes that create patterns in nature allows me to capture unusual impressions and abstractions of the visual landscape. Whether the images are landscapes or waterscapes I strive to convey the serenity of these spaces.
If you have any questions or want to discuss any of my work contact me at... [email protected] or get more backstories about the work on my website.
Most of my work is printed with archival ink on somerset velvet art paper at either 18” x 24”, 11" x 14", or 24” x 30”, but some are significantly larger. Custom sizes are available, and all works are limited signed editions of 25.
See more of my work in the store.