On Nov. 9, world famous photographer Gene Kennedy will be exhibiting some of his work at the 1855 Gallery, which is located in the Davis Cemetery.
Kennedy is most recognized for his photography of the contemporary American landscape, particularly his black-and-white documentary images of suburban land development in Northern California. This upcoming presentation will consist of photographs focusing on the scenery of Yosemite National Park.
As a documentary photographer, Kennedy said he expects viewers to be able to decide what his photos thematically represent with their own sensibilities and interpret his art using their own understanding of the world. He said that his photographs tend to carry hidden metaphors, but at other times, his objectives for the non-natural pictures are more strident and humorous.
He describes that when camping in Yosemite, he was enamored with watching the spectacle of the firefall every night pouring down from Glacier Point. At 14, Kennedy received his first camera and began to take pictures of iconic rocks and waterfalls. According to Kennedy, Yosemite represents a space for his spirituality to be let loose.
“Amongst the trees, rocks and flowing waters, in the heart of the Sierra Nevada, I could commune with the spirit. It gives me peace and great happiness to be in Yosemite Valley,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy said he appreciates photographing trees the most out of all aspects of nature since they represent the changing face of the valley. He observes that the leaves change colors from season to season and they share countenances in front of rarely-changing rocks and cliffs.
“The trees keep me ever-attentive to variety, character and metaphor, to age and youth and to death and rebirth,” Kennedy said.
There will be tree portraits ranging from 1969 to 2014 at his exhibit, with each picture enlightening a different part of scenery due to organic alterations of nature.
The exhibit will run until Dec. 1 and is open Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information on the exhibit and pricing, you can visit daviscemetery.org.
Photo by Courtesy
